


Daddy Needs a Date

by caswinchesterbaby



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Dad Castiel, F/M, Family Drama, Family Fluff, Happy Ending, Kid Fic, Light dom/sub undertones, M/M, Past Abuse, Past Castiel/Meg Masters, Plotting seven year olds, Teacher Dean
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-07
Updated: 2015-10-19
Packaged: 2018-03-10 22:36:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 84,595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3305894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caswinchesterbaby/pseuds/caswinchesterbaby
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Castiel Novak loves his daughter, Grace, with all his heart. When their dark past threatens to catch up with them, the pair is forced to make an escape from Boston and move to rural Lawrence, Kansas. Grace is enrolled in Mr. Dean Winchester’s second grade class, and things go smoothly. But are there surprises ahead of them? Can Cas keep his small family together? He sure hopes so.</p>
<p>**Now with two bonus epilogues!**</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I'd like to start off letting you all know that this is very much a WIP, and even though I do know where I am going with this story, it's not completed. I'm not going to make any promises when it comes to a posting schedule right now. Mostly, I'm just working on this when I get free time and just need some destiel fluff, which isn't as much as I would like.  
> But for those who are willing to go through this journey with me, thank you so much, and happy reading! :)

“Grace, if you don’t hurry up then you’ll be late for your first day of school,” Cas calls to his daughter from the kitchen. They’d only moved to Lawrence, Kansas a week ago, and Grace is starting her first day of second grade today.

“One second, Dad!” Grace shouts back from her room. Cas puts his daughter’s ham and cheese sandwich in her backpack along with a bag of carrots and money to buy milk during lunch. They have exactly ten minutes to spare before they absolutely must leave. In order to get to school early enough to stop at the head office as they had been instructed a few days ago, they have to leave early. When Cas had enrolled his daughter at the elementary school, he had been given explicit instructions to stop by the office with Grace to take care of any last minute transitions.

It’s only another two minutes before Grace comes tumbling into the kitchen, grabbing her bowl of cereal from Cas’s hands and shoveling spoonfuls into her mouth.

“Thanks, Daddy,” She mumbles around her last spoonful of cinnamon toast crunch.

“You’re welcome, sweetheart.” Cas takes the empty bowl from her and puts it into the dishwasher. “Are you ready for school?”

“Yes,” Grace beams, showing off her missing tooth. “I can’t wait to make new friends.”

Cas smiles at his excited daughter. He’d been worried, of course, about making the move from Boston to Lawrence, but so far Grace has been embracing everything with open arms. He had second guessed himself when he watched her say goodbye to her friends the day they made the move, and then again when he had to say goodbye to his older brother Gabriel, but it seemed worth it. He couldn’t stay in Boston.

“I’m sure you’ll make plenty,” Cas reassures Grace, even though she doesn’t need the reassurance.

“Can we leave now?” She asks, her big blue eyes digging holes in Cas’s heart.

“Someone’s awfully excited to go to school,” Cas says as he grabs his car keys. _She won’t be like that in a few years_ , he thinks to himself.

“I wanna make friends,” Grace repeats.

“And you will, honey.”

The car ride to the school is spent in amiable silence. Grace looks out the window, still familiarizing herself with their surroundings. They’d spent most of the week they’d been in Lawrence unpacking, so there was little they knew about their neighborhood.

Cas couldn’t help but feel a stitch of worry pick at his brain. What if Grace didn’t make any friends today? What if leaving Boston was a bad idea? What if she told her class why they left in the first place? What if –

“Dad,” Grace’s voice cuts through his worry. “We’re at the school.”

Cas blinks, clearing his thoughts from the messed up jumble they were working themselves into. Oh, it seems they are at the school. He has no idea how he managed to get to it without thinking, but he’s not complaining.

“You sure you want to do this?” Cas asks her. “We can wait a few days if you want before starting.”

“No, Dad,” Grace stares at him with piercing blue eyes, the same pair of blue eyes he knows are adorning his own face, demanding he submits to her whims. She’s so sassy for a seven year old. One day she’ll put every boy in their place. “I want to start _today_.”

“Okay,” Cas says, putting his hands up in defense. “That’s perfectly fine. Just wanted to make sure you knew the offer was still on the table.” He isn’t going to admit to wanting to stay close to her for a little longer. Besides, he sees no reason to make her worry.

They make their way up the stairs and into the building, stopping at the main office. Cas offered to hold Grace’s backpack but she gave him a resolute grimace and carried her _The Lion King_ themed backpack on her back, one strapping it like the daredevil she is. “Like a big girl,” she had said.

A secretary, Pamela Barnes, greets them. “Hello, how may I help you this morning?” Cas notices how she doesn’t just look at him, but she also looks at Grace, giving them both equal chance to talk to her. So many adults overlook children, it’s sickening. Cas immediately likes her.

“It’s my first day of school here!” Grace practically shouts. Maybe Cas should have given her a breakfast with much less sugar.

Pamela smiles, a real smile, and looks up at Cas. “Have you already filled out all her paperwork?”

“Yes.”

Pamela nods, then turns her attention back to Grace. “And what’s your name, little lady?”

“Grace Anna Novak. I got my middle name from my Daddy’s little sister. But she went to Heaven when I was real little.”

Cas grimaces at the mention of his deceased sister. It still hurts to be reminded of her untimely death. They still haven’t caught the man who robbed and murdered her.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Grace Anna Novak,” Pamela says with a smile, although she does send a soft look towards Cas. “And is this your Dad here with you?”

“Yes, this is my Daddy,” Grace beams, tugging Cas’s hand forward so that she can wrap it around her shoulder as she burrows the side of her head into his hip. “His name’s Casteel…Castal…Castil…Cast – Daddy, help.”

Grace looks up at him with big blue eyes that make his heart melt. She’s always had trouble pronouncing his full name. That’s why he told her to just say Cas, but she likes the challenge.

“I’m Castiel Novak,” Cas holds out his hand, which Pamela takes into a firm handshake. “But you can call me Cas, it’s much easier, everyone does.”

“Well then, it’s nice to meet you, too, Cas.” Pamela smiles once more before turning to her computer and clicking a few times before turning back to them. “Okay, Miss Grace, you’re going to be in Mr. Winchester’s second grade class this year.” She looks up at Cas then. “Would you like to go with Grace to meet Mr. Winchester before class starts?”

“What do you think, Grace?” Cas asks his daughter. He already knows his answer, he’d just like to let her think she gets to make the choice. Grace likes choices.

“Yes,” Grace says, tugging on his left hand to try to move things along. “Come meet my teacher.”

“Are you sure it would be okay?” Cas asks Pamela.

“I wouldn’t have offered if it wasn’t.”

“Thank you,” Cas says sincerely. He really appreciates any kindness he’s been given lately. Lord knows he’s needed it.

They make their way down the hallway and onto the second floor with Pamela pointing out rooms and asking Grace about her favorite subjects in school. Grace talks animatedly, very much enjoying the attention she’s being given. Cas is happy when she’s happy.

When they get to classroom number sixty seven, Pamela knocks on the door and pushes it open a few inches.

“Dean?” She calls. “I’d like you to meet your new student and her father.”

And then there’s a man at the door, opening it the rest of the way and smiling down at Grace. The man kneels down so that he’s at her height.

“Hello,” He says with a broad smile. “You must be Grace.”

She nods, a matching smile adorning her face. “Are you Mr. Winchester?”

“Yes, I am. Would you like to come in?” Mr. Winchester asks. Grace nods again, tugging Cas in by the hand when Dean stands up and walks back into the classroom. School isn’t scheduled to begin for another fifteen minutes.

Mr. Winchester turns toward Cas then, holding out his hand in greeting. Cas takes it and gives him a steady handshake. “I’m Dean Winchester, and you’re Grace’s dad?”

“Yes,” Cas says, taking his hand back and running it through Grace’s wavy blonde hair. “I’m Castiel Novak.”

“Castiel,” Dean tries out the name, seemingly liking it. “What brought you to move to Lawrence?”

Cas pauses for a moment, not sure whether Dean’s inquiring about the Lawrence aspect or what caused the move. Luckily, Grace saves him from answering.

“Uncle Gabe said that Lawrence has the best burgers in the whole entire word,” Grace tells her new teacher with excitement. “Daddy loves burgers. He’d do anything for one. This one time, our old neighbor Ruby got him to –”

“Alright, sweetie,” Cas cuts his daughter off before she can completely mortify him before her first day of school even begins. “I don’t think your teacher needs to know that story.”

Dean grins, raising an eyebrow at Cas but otherwise making no comment. Cas takes the moment of silence to really look at the man who is going to be his daughter’s teacher. He’s strikingly attractive, what with his green eyes and sandy brown hair. But that’s not what he’s concerned about. The man doesn’t seem to look aggressive, he seems rather like a teddy bear actually.

“How many kids are in your class?” Grace asks.

“Eighteen,” Dean answers, squatting once more so that he can be level with her. It makes Cas’s heart melt just a little bit.

“And do they all…do they…” Grace looks down, her pale skin reddening with a blush. “Do they all already have best friends?”

Dean looks up at Cas for a second while Grace is still looking at the floor. There’s a question in Dean’s eyes, but Cas just reassures him with a nod.

“I’m not sure,” Dean says softly. “Are you worried about making friends?”

“A little,” Grace admits after some coaxing.

“Aw, that’s okay,” Dean reassures her. “You have really friendly classmates. I’m sure you’ll make at least a few friends today.”

“But what if I don’t?”

“Well, you met me today,” Dean smiles. “And I’d consider myself lucky to be your friend.”

Grace giggles, _giggles_ , and looks up at Cas.

“Look Daddy, I’ve already made a friend today!”

“You have,” Cas ruffles her hair. “I told you that you would.”

Pamela clears her throat from where she had been leaning against the doorframe. “Students are going to be arriving in less than five minutes. You should say goodbye to Grace and then let her start her day.”

“Alright,” Cas says. He feels his heartstrings being pulled. For the past two weeks he’s spent all his time with his daughter, and now he’s going to be alone again. But he won’t hold her back. She’s ready to start school again and he’s proud of her for her bravery. He could never ask for a better daughter. “You be good for Mr. Winchester, you hear me?”

Grace nods, looking up at her dad with big blue eyes. “I love you, Daddy.”

“I love you, too, pumpkin,” Cas leans down and presses a soft kiss to her forehead. “I’ll pick you up at three, okay sweetie? You be good, love you.”

“Love you,” She whispers back, giving his hand a squeeze before releasing it. Cas turns and leaves the classroom before he lets the first tear form in his eye.

Pamela gives him a nudge in the side with her elbow. “Separation issues already, huh?”

Cas shrugs, rubbing his hand under his eyes. “I’m just going to miss her.”

“She’s a brave little girl, I’m sure she’ll be fine.”

“I know she will.”

 

**~~*~~*~~*~~*~~**

 

Cas is practically an over worried mess by the time three o’clock rolls around. He’s finished unpacking all but a few boxes out of their apartment – they’d had to leave Boston in a rush, and so thus hadn’t brought much with them to Lawrence – and finally heard back from the company he’d applied to. He’d gotten the job, but even that source of happiness isn’t enough to quell his nerves. What if Grace didn’t make any friends? What if she hates her new school? What if she wants to go back to Boston?

Cas is standing in the lobby of the school anxiously waiting for the classrooms to all file out so that the children can either be picked up by their parents or can board their respective school buses. Already three different classrooms have come out, but so far there’s been no sight of either Mr. Winchester or Grace.

 _What if something happened to the class?_ Cas is about to go to the office to ask about his daughter’s whereabouts when he hears a high pitch squeal that can only belong to Grace.

“Daddy!” Cas turns around and sure enough, Grace is barreling towards him with a huge smile on her face, her backpack flying every which way. Instantly, his heart melts and all his worries fly out the metaphorical window.

“How was school?” Cas asks as he squats down and wraps his daughter into a hug. She wraps her small arms around his neck and presses the side of her head into his scruff.

“School’s amazing, Daddy!” Grace squeals. “Mr. Winchester is the bestest teacher ever and all the kids liked me! Except for Metatron, but Hannah told me that he’s a meanie.”

“So I take it you had fun today, love?” Cas asks, a matching grin on his own face.

“Yeah!”

Cas pulls back from their hug, looking at his daughter with love in his eyes. He’s so goddamn proud of her. Being with Grace makes all the pain her mother caused worth it. If he could go back in time and never meet Meg, he wouldn’t do it. Not if he knew he’d never get Grace.

“Mind if I interrupt?” A new voice asks. Cas looks up to see Mr. Winchester standing there with a kind smile.

“Not at all.” Cas stands up, taking Grace’s hand in his own and giving a light squeeze. She squeezes back.

“Hi, Mr. Winchester,” Grace says.

“Hello, Grace,” Mr. Winchester smiles at her before turning his attention back to Cas. “Grace is an excellent addition to my classroom. I couldn’t ask for a more well behaved and awesome child.”

Cas beams at the compliments aimed toward his daughter. He ruffles her hair with his free hand.

“And she made plenty of friends today, right Grace?”

“Right!” Grace pats Cas’s leg, signaling she wants to be picked up. She’s seven now, so she isn’t the lightest thing in the world. But for Grace, Cas would do anything. He lifts her up so that she’s at his hip and presses a kiss to her forehead.

“That’s amazing, love,” he tells her.

“Thanks, Daddy,” she giggles. Then her attention is caught elsewhere and her legs start kicking. “Daddy, let me down, I wanna go see Hannah!”

“But I just picked you up,” Cas fake pouts. He wouldn’t deny his daughter the chance to go talk to one of her new friends.

“Daddy _please_ ,” Grace turns her big blue eyes on him, and seriously, who could say no to that?

“Alright,” Cas complies, placing her gently back onto the floor where she then runs over to a brunette seven year old who’s standing a few feet away.

Cas smiles softly at the sight. Little Grace, growing up already.

“Could I talk to you?” Mr. Winchester asks.

“Of course,” Cas replies, a small seed of dread planting itself in his mind.

“You can call me Dean,” Dean responds. “It’s nothing bad, just wanted to talk about Grace.”

“Oh.”

“She really is quite a lovely child,” Dean says. “But I can tell she’s worried about you.”

“About me?” Cas asks in disbelief. Why would Grace be worried about him?

“Yeah,” Dean rubs the back of his neck. “She said you were really sad.”

Cas looks down in shame. He’d tried so hard not to let Grace know how he’s been feeling lately. This is exactly what he didn’t want. He never wanted Grace to worry about him. He doesn’t want either of them being worried about the other. That was the whole reason for this move.

“She’s a good kid. She really is,” Dean goes on. “If there’s something that you think she might need help coping with then I could possibly be of help.”

“What do you mean?” Cas asks wearily, squinting his eyes in a way he’s told can be intimidating.

Dean looks away for a moment, his eyes focused as if deep in thought. “I mean, I think something happened back in Boston and that’s why you moved to Lawrence, and trust me, I’m not trying to pry into your personal life, but whatever it was that happened, it’s affecting Grace. She sees you’re hurting and she wants to help.”

“She does help.”

“I’m sure she does,” Dean smiles. “Look, Cas, I don’t know you very well but you seem like a good guy. Grace asked if she could call you during lunch and I asked why and that’s the only reason I know about any of this stuff. Just maybe talk to her?”

“I will, thank –” Cas pauses, nodding his head to reassure himself. “Thank you.”

“It’s no problem,” Dean says. “And seriously, if you ever need help or you think Grace needs someone to talk to or…or you need someone to talk to, just let me know.”

“Thank you, Dean.”

It’s quiet for a moment as they stare into each other’s eyes. Cas wouldn’t feel comfortable dumping all his problems onto his daughter’s teacher, especially since he’s only met the man today. However, he’s very grateful to know that he does have an outlet if he needs one. Gabriel can only help so much without making Cas want to drink an entire liquor store.

“Daddy!” Grace interrupts them, clinging to Cas’s leg and drawing his eyes away from Dean’s green orbs. “Aren’t we gonna go home now?”

Cas looks down at her and can’t help but feel his heart strings be pulled once again. He loves her so much, so goddamn much. If she’s worried about him, then he’s just going to have to get better. There’s no other option.

“Yeah, honey, it’s time to go home.”

“Bye, Mr. Winchester,” Grace calls, waving at her teacher with her freehand.

“Goodbye, Grace, see you tomorrow,” Dean waves back. “Bye, Cas.”

“Goodbye, Dean.”

Cas and Grace make their way out of the school building and into the parking lot, Grace gripping his hand the entire time. Cas opens the back door to his Prius and Grace jumps in, throwing her _Lion King_ backpack in ahead of her.

“I can’t wait to go to school tomorrow,” Grace says once Cas gets into the driver’s seat. As he exits the parking lot he notices a black Impala, possibly from 1967, parked in the teacher’s section. It’s beautiful. Cas has always had a love for classic cars, but unfortunately, hasn’t been able to save up the money to purchase one of his own. Which teacher does that car belong to?

“Mr. Winchester said that we’re going to be drawing sef portraits tomorrow!”

“Self-portraits?” Cas asks.

“Yeah!”

“You like school, huh, sweetie?”

“Yes, Daddy,” Grace says with a huge smile on her face.

“I’m glad, love.”

They spend the afternoon coloring Grace’s _The Little Mermaid_ coloring book and watching cartoons. Cas makes hot dogs and mac n cheese for dinner – Grace’s favorite meal – to celebrate her first day of school.

At night, while Cas is reading a chapter from _Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets_ to Grace, she burrows next to him and rests her head on his shoulder.

“I love you, Daddy,” she whispers sleepily.

Cas studies her, his heart melting at the way her eyes keep fluttering closed. She insists he reads a whole chapter to her every night, but she always struggles to stay awake. Is she really so worried about him? And he didn’t even notice?

“I love you, too, Angel,” Cas presses a kiss to her forehead and closes the book. He shushes her tired protests for him to keep reading. “Goodnight, my angel. Sweet dreams.”

“G’night, Daddy.”

Cas flicks off the light and lingers for another few moments until Grace’s breathing evens out into slumber.


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! So I'm going to try and post either weekly or biweekly. I'm working on another fic at the same time as this one, and that one's a much bigger project. I have about half of the next chapter written, so hopefully I'll finish that up soon and have it ready for next week! :)

Dean curses as he throws out a hand to hit snooze on his alarm. _Five more minutes_.

_That was definitely not five minutes_ , Dean mentally groans as he hears his alarm go off again. He dismisses it and stretches. He’d want nothing more than to go back to sleep. It isn’t that he doesn’t want to go to work, just that it’s six thirty in the freaking morning.

He groans as he pulls himself out of bed to take a leak and then trudge into the shower. The warm water makes his tired muscles relax as he soaps down his body. He’d love to go to bed, his entire body feels as if he’s gone ten rounds with Sam during his wrestling phase. However, there _is_ one part of him that’s very awake. And well, Dean is weak and he hasn’t done this in what feels like forever.

Without a trace of guilt, Dean wraps a loose fist around his cock and instantly groans. His eyes are squeezed shut and he’s leaning against the wall, slowly jacking himself off to thoughts of a gorgeous blue eyed man with ravenous dark black hair and plump pink lips. Ugh, and that ridiculous trench coat that somehow looks hot.

He imagines bending the blue eyed man over and eating him out so well that he’s practically begging for Dean’s cock. Then Dean would tease him for a while, fondle his balls and tweak his nipples. Dean moans out loud as he imagines the blue eyed beauty begging so nicely, his voice so gravely and deep that it shoots straight to Dean’s aching cock. So being the awesome partner that he is, Dean would give in and bottom out in one quick thrust. The blue eyed man would practically scream, he would be moaning so loudly. Dean would pull out and then slam back in, keep up that pace the entire time until he has Blue Eyes writhing with the need to come.

He speeds up the pace of his hand until Blue Eyes is screaming as he paints the wall with his seed, and all Dean can think is _CasCasCas_ , and that’s when the realization of what he’s doing hits him. His hand flies off his quickly softening cock, the fear in him effectively acting as boner kill, and suddenly he feels like the biggest pervert in the entire world.

He can’t get off to his student’s parent. It can’t happen. It’s not a possibility. God, if anyone ever found out, surely he’d lose his job.

How is he supposed to look at Grace today knowing that he almost came to thoughts of her dad? Dean groans, throwing his head under the harsh spray of the water. Why does Grace’s dad have to be so goddamn attractive?

Dean grumbles to himself throughout the rest of his morning until he’s parking his Baby in the teacher’s section and heading into the school. He has to put all thoughts of this morning on the back burner or else he won’t be able to look at Grace. It wouldn’t be fair to her; it’s only her second day of school. Hell, it wouldn’t be fair to her even if she’d been there the whole year.

“Hey, Dean, what’s up?”

Dean’s pulled from his grumbling by Charlie Bradbury, the other second grade teacher at Lawrence Memorial School.

“It’s too early,” Dean mumbles.

“Aw, wake up and smell the roses, handmaiden,” Charlie grins. She looks nice today with her hair pulled up into a messy bun, stray strands of fiery red hair popping out of the otherwise sleek up-do.

“Not your handmaiden right now, Charlie.”

“One never leaves the life, bitch.”

“ _Children_ ,” Dean sing songs sarcastically. Charlie was called out on vulgar language by Principle Mosely last year, and ever since then, Dean hasn’t been able to let it go. All of this is much to Charlie’s dismay.

“There aren’t any here yet!”

Dean rolls his eyes. He hadn’t realized how much he needed to be around her to get him out of his funk until right now.

“So did you see that new kid’s dad?” Charlie asks suddenly, elbowing him in the side.

“Uh, yeah,” Dean responds intelligently. God damnit, he’d spoken too soon.

“I passed by the front office when he was checking his daughter in yesterday.” Charlie gets a far away look in her eye. “Isn’t he dreamy?” Charlie’s one of very few people that know about Dean’s bisexuality.

Dean barks out a laugh, rubbing the back of his neck in bad habit. “Damn Charlie, if I didn’t know you played for the other team I’d say you’ve got yourself a little crush.”

“Shut it, Winchester,” Charlie fake glares as Dean unlocks his classroom and steps inside, but not until after he’s given her a mock bow. After all, he is her handmaiden.

Dean takes a long drawn out breath to collect his thoughts. He has less than twenty minutes until his students start arriving; he needs to have his shit together.

He could always just call Sammy, he’d set him straight. Dean’s got his phone out and is on Sam’s contact – _Moose_ – when he remembers that Sam has an early morning law class today.

_Shit_ , he curses to himself. He’ll just have to work himself out of his funk on his own. And the best way to do that is to focus on teaching. He now has nineteen seven year olds he has to take care of. He can’t let them down.

“Mr. Winchester!” A little girl’s squeal interrupts his thoughts as he wipes down the whiteboard. “Daddy, _hurry up!_ ”

Dean turns around to see Grace Novak bursting through the doorway to his classroom, small hand firmly grasped around a much larger one. Dean takes a gulp before he extends his gaze because fuck his life right up the ass if who he thinks is about to walk in is actually about to walk in.

“Patience is a virtue, Grace.”

And yup, that’s Cas.

Dean internally groans. How can this be real life?

“Hello, Grace,” Dean says, plastering on his teacher smile. Normally it would be his real smile, but he’s too fucked up in the head right now for that.

“I’m sorry,” Cas says, smiling down at his daughter after he apologizes. “Grace insisted on coming in early and then she dragged me up here. We can go wait in the lobby with some of the other kids if you’d prefer.”

Before Dean even knows what he’s saying, the words are already out. “Nah, you guys can stay here.”

Why did he say that? He wants nothing more than for Cas to not be in the same room as him. What if Cas knows? Will he be able to sense that Dean had almost gotten off this morning to thoughts of him? Oh god, what if Cas can read minds? _Clap twice if you can hear me._

No result.

“Are you okay?” Cas asks, a cloud of worry passing over his features.

Shit. “Uh, yeah.” Dean shakes his head minutely. Get it together, Winchester!

Grace looks up at him, her face equally as worried. “What’s wrong, Mr. Winchester?”

Dean smiles at her. He can get it together for her. “Nothing’s wrong, sweetie.” Dean puts down the eraser he was using to clear the whiteboard and crouches down so that he’s eye level with Grace. “I just didn’t get too much sleep last night, I was helping out my little brother with some of his college things.”

It wasn’t exactly a lie. He _had_ helped Sam study last night over the phone, but it by no means kept him awake at night.

“What’s he getting a degree in?” Cas asks, his voice a deep timber that makes Dean’s cock give a weak little twitch. Mother of god.

“Law.”

Cas raises his eyebrows, obviously intimidated. Dean feels a pulse of pride for his little brother. He’s always been proud of Sammy, especially since he’s only one semester away from getting his degree.

“Sammy’s gonna be the best family lawyer in the whole country.”

Cas smiles, revealing his teeth. “You’re very proud of him.”

It isn’t a question and Dean doesn’t treat it as such. It’s a fact. He _is_ proud of Sammy.

“Can I meet him?” Grace asks, raising her hand as if they were in class.

Dean lets out a low beat of laughter. “I wish you could, but Sammy’s in California right now. Maybe after he graduates I’ll have him come and meet the class.” He looks up to see Cas looking at him with a question in his eyes. “Sammy’s at Stanford Law, he’s all set to receive his degree with _summa cum laude_.”

“Wow.” Cas lets out a low whistle.

Another surge of pride makes its way through Dean. He turns his attention back to Grace before he turns his whole morning into a _Sam Is The Best Person Ever_ parade.

“Excited to return to school?” he asks with a cocky smile.

“Yes!”

Cas laughs, ruffling Grace’s hair with the hand that she isn’t clutching.

“Can Daddy stay?” Grace asks quickly. It’s clear by the way Cas’s eyes bulge and his face pales that he wasn’t aware of why his daughter made sure he came to the classroom with her. She pushes on, her words tumbling out of her mouth with increasing speed. “I promise he’ll be real quiet and he won’t disrupt class and he can help with coloring and he can push us on the swings during recess and he can make snacks and he can help you pass out papers and he can read us stories and he’ll change his voice to match each character and he can draw us things and make shadow puppets and give us piggy back rides and –”

“Grace,” Dean interrupts her, his eyes gleaming with amusement. “As much as I’m sure you’d love to have your father stay with us today for class,” He looks up at Cas and gives him a sly look. “And as much as I’m sure your father doesn’t have anything better to do today, he can’t stay.”

“Well, why not?” Grace asks, already pouting.

“Because there are rules, honey,” Cas says, looking down at his daughter fondly. If Dean was looking really closely – which he totally isn’t – he would dare to say that Cas’s eyes look a little red. “And plus, I’m starting a new job today. We want to keep our new house, don’t we?”

“Yeah,” Grace mumbles, eyes on the ground. She lifts them to look at her dad hopefully. “But couldn’t you work here? You can work with Mr. Winchester and you can both teach class!”

Cas laughs at that, leaning down and giving Grace a kiss on the forehead. “I’m not a teacher, sweetie, I’m an accountant.”

Dean can’t help the way his nose scrunches up at that. An accountant? How boring. Well, at least his coworkers will get to sneak glances at him all day. But seriously, an accountant?

“I can see that, Mr. Winchester,” Cas says. Dean hadn’t even thought that he was looking. Nonetheless, he’s caught. “And I’ll have you know that being a tax accountant can have its perks.”

“Like what?” He’s already been caught, he might as well keep going.

“The pay’s good.”

Dean laughs. That’s such a shit excuse for a boring job. “Probably better than a teacher’s salary.”

“So Daddy can’t stay today?” Grace asks.

Dean looks down at her softly. He’s dealt with children that don’t want to leave their parents, but Grace seems like one tough cookie. She doesn’t _need_ her father there like some kids that he’s dealt with, she _wants_ him there. If Dean didn’t already realize that the two are very close, he’s sure of it now.

“I’m sorry, Grace, but your dad’s going to have to go to work today.”

“I’ll be here to pick you up though, Angel.” Cas says lovingly.

“I love you, Daddy,” Grace says, reaching her hands up and making grabby motions.

“I love you, too,” Cas tells her. “But I’m gonna have to go to work now, okay, love?”

“Okay, Daddy.”

“Thanks for letting us stick around this morning,” Cas says to Dean. A small bud of passion bubbles in his heart at seeing the blatant sincerity in Cas’s eyes.

“’S no problem.”

Cas heads off to work soon after that, leaving a very over excited for nine in the morning Grace to follow Dean around everywhere.

“Can I help?” Grace asks.

“Of course, Grace.” Dean heads over to his desk and picks up a small stack of papers. “Do you think you can put one of these papers on each desk?”

Grace nods enthusiastically, her small grabby hands clasping around the stack and denting the side. If this was a few years ago when Dean was teaching his first class, then maybe he would have been upset by the crinkled paper. But as it is, he’s gone through this rodeo so many times that he doesn’t even bat an eyelash.

There’s a knock at the door where Hannah, another one of Dean’s students, is waiting patiently with bright eyes.

“Hello, Hannah,” Dean greets while Grace squeals, which _oh god_ , is so goddamn adorable. “You’re here early.”

“I saw Grace’s daddy leaving the school and I didn’t see Grace and I thought that maybe she was in here and I was right.”

Dean grins, ushering Hannah into the room where she starts helping Grace pass out papers onto the desks. He lets the two girls be, just happy to see that Grace has already made a friend. There’s still about five more minutes until the rest of his students will start arriving, giving him just enough time to check in on his lesson plan for the day.

He has everything set and prepped for the day by the time the rest of his class shows up. Within ten minutes, any thoughts of Cas or what he could be doing with Cas have completely vanished.

 

**~~*~~*~~*~~*~~**

“Sam, I already told you, don’t worry about it.”

“ _But I’m totally fucked!_ ” Sam yells from over the phone.

“I’ll take care of it,” Dean grunts. He was just getting out of the car to make a stop at the grocery store before heading home when he got a call from Sam. “I can pick up some weekend shifts at Bobby’s and help pay your loans off.”

“ _Dean, you don’t have to do that,_ ” Sam starts, but Dean cuts him off.

“Don’t give me that shit, Samsquatch. I’m your older brother and if catching up with the guys at the garage during the weekends is what I gotta do to keep you in school for your last semester, then that’s what I gotta do.”

There’s a sound over the phone that sounds dangerously similar to a sob of relief. “ _Thank you, Dean. I don’t know what I’d do without you._ ”

“Your hair would probably be at least two feet long and you’d still be a virgin,” Dean tells him cheekily. He can hear the responding groan.

“ _Listen,_ _I gotta go, Dean. Jess’s parents are coming over for dinner soon._ ” There’s a pause, as if Sam’s gathering his thoughts. “ _And thank you, all joking aside, thank you, I really don’t know where I’d be without you. I – I love you, Dean._ ”

Dean’s heart explodes, a tender smile making its way onto his face. He misses his little brother so goddamn much. “I love you, too, Sammy. Now go show your fiancé’s parents how much of a dweeb you are.”

“ _Jerk._ ”

“Bitch.”

Dean grins as he makes his way into the grocery store. Even though he’ll be doing more work than he had planned for the next few months, he can’t help but feel happy. He’s going to be helping Sam, and Sam had come to him with his problem. And now Sam is going to be having dinner with his fiancé’s parents, and Dean couldn’t be any happier.

He’s smiling like a goddamn fool, picking up a jug of milk and placing it into his basket. Dean’s so distracted that he doesn’t see the small little girl behind him as he makes his way toward the deli. He bumps into her, almost sending both of them straight to the ground. The only thing that keeps his ass from connecting with the floor is a strong hand circling around his bicep and holding him upright. Another hand that must belong to the same man wraps around the little girl.

“Hey guys, I’m so sorry about – ”

He cuts himself off as he realizes who he’s apologizing to. The blonde little girl whom Dean nearly knocked down onto the floor is none other than Grace Novak. And if Grace is there, then that means…

“Hello, Dean.”

Oh, shit. Dean’s face reddens as he looks up and sees that he’s eye level with the crotch that belongs to none other than Castiel Novak – father of one of his students, feature in his fantasy, and current man who has just recently saved his ass. Quickly, he stands up fully so that he can be eye level with said man.

“Heya, Cas,” Dean rubs the back of his heated neck, glancing down at Grace who’s staring up at him with owlish eyes. “Hi, Grace. I’m sorry about knocking into you, I didn’t see you there.”

“”s alright, Mr. Winchester,” Grace mumbles, looking up at her father as if uncomfortable with seeing Dean out of school.

“Thanks for catching us, Cas.”

“Of course.” Cas nods at him, a small smile on his lips.

“Daddy,” Grace whispers, and it’s so uncharacteristically shy for her that it makes Dean feel off. “Why isn’t Mr. Winchester at school?”

“Everyone needs to get food at some point,” Cas replies playfully.

Grace smiles back for a moment before sneaking a side long glance at Dean. “But doesn’t he live at the school?”

Dean erupts into laughter and so does Cas. Grace pouts. This isn’t the first time Dean’s run into a student outside of school and encountered the same reaction. Why so many children thought that their teachers lived at school, he has no idea. But for some unknown reason, it’s a freaking epidemic.

“Where did you think I slept?” Dean asks Grace. He’s heard that teachers were bats that slept on the ceilings before.

“At your desk,” Grace whispers, seemingly noticing how wrong she had been. Dean feels bad for the little squirt, for more than one reason.

He looks over at Cas, who seems to be watching the interaction with an amused interest, before kneeling down to be eye level with Grace.

“I have my own home, which maybe you can see some day when you’re older.”

“Excuse me?” There’s fire in Cas’s eyes, the blue orbs crackling like lightning. His voice is such a deep grumble, and if Dean wasn’t suddenly so scared then he would be insanely turned on. Even now, he can’t help but hold his breath.

Why the hell is Cas so angry? It’s not like they would be breaking any rules. When Grace is older she won’t be Dean’s student and then he can show her his house if she so chooses and – _oh._

“Oh my god, no!” Dean’s face flushes a violent crimson, practically squeaking the words out. “Cas, I would never – I would _never_ do _anything_ like that!” Dean’s panicking. Holy shit, forget losing his job over fantasizing about Cas’s cock, he’s going to lose it over a pointless misunderstanding. “Believe me, that is not what I meant.”

Cas is still glaring at him with thinly veiled rage, clutching Grace against his leg in a show of protection. He seems to be listening to Dean, though.

“I simply meant that when Grace is no longer my student, if she still believed that I lived at the school, then I could prove that I don’t.” Dean is so fucked. Is this enough evidence to label him as a sex offender? “You, of course, would be invited, too.”

Dean closes his eyes, a ragged breath escaping through his lips. Hopefully Sammy will be an official lawyer by the time Cas takes him to trial. “I swear on Sammy’s life, I did not mean what I said in the way that you interpreted it.”

Cas’s glare softens slightly, but he’s still obviously on edge. Dean backs up, shuffling his feet in his discomfort. “I’m just…I’m going to leave.”

“Don’t bother,” Cas growls, and holy shit his voice is just so goddamn _deep._ Cas picks up the basket he’s using to carry the groceries and promptly turns around, ushering Grace to the checkout as quickly as possible.

Dean heads home after that, returning the jug of milk he’d picked up and placing the basket into the stack at the front. He breaks out the whiskey within seconds of closing his front door and downs a shot straight from the source. It burns, but he needs it. After all, he’s going to lose his job tomorrow. And hey, at least then he’ll be able to drink on weekdays again, fantasize about whomever the hell he wants, and pass out flat out drunk off his ass by nine at night.

He does all of the above.

 

 


	3. Chapter Three

The glass cereal bowl shattering to the floor this morning should have alerted Cas to how his day was going to go. Of course, Cas didn’t think anything of it. But now, as he’s neck deep in paperwork – _incorrect_ paperwork – he’s starting to wish he’d just curled back up in his cold bed this morning.

“Novak!”

Cas internally cringes at the mirth in his boss’s voice. He knew when he took this job that it would be frustrating, but shit, he had no idea.

“Are you done with those papers I gave you, yet?”

Cas swallows, hoping that the stress and apprehension won’t show on his face as he turns around to face Crowley. “I’m sorry, but not yet. Your last employee, whom I’m taking over for, seemed to have some incorrect numbers. This is going to take longer than I had expected.”

“Fuck,” Crowley grumbles, and Cas swears he can see the little devil horns sticking out of Crowley’s hair. “Then get back to work, Novak. I’m not paying you to fuck around.”

Crowley leaves, going back to his office and all but slamming the door. Not for the first time in the past two days, Cas starts to regret choosing this job. To be honest, the pay sucks, the work is terrible, and the environment is unbearable. At this point, he’s half sure Crowley has a secret pimp business going on in the back room.

Unfortunately, this is the only place Cas applied to that could work with his hours. Putting Grace into daycare was something that Cas absolutely did not want to do. Meaning, that he would need to be out of the office by two forty five in order to pick Grace up from school at three. They weren’t the best hours, but after doing the math, he decided that they could make do with the income.

And speaking of picking Grace up from school, he really needs to apologize to Dean. Cas sighs, guilt building again. He really had overreacted at the grocery store last night. It’s obvious that Dean hadn’t meant to say what Cas had interpreted it as. But the anger Cas had felt, the pure rage that boiled inside him. God, he hasn’t been that angry in a long time. Not since, well, not since that night with Meg.

Cas’s skin still tingles with rage when he remembers that night. How absolutely helpless he felt; the overwhelming fear. Grace had screamed so loud, a horrible noise full of pain. Six years later and Cas still wakes up from nightmares with that scream echoing in his ears.

By the time two forty five rolls around, Cas has worked himself up so much that he’s minutely shaking. He feels horrible, and Dean must hate him. Hell, if he were Dean, he would definitely hate him.

“I’m leaving now,” Cas tells Crowley when said man pops out of his office with a frown on his face.

“You sure?” Crowley drawls. “You could stay if you wanted. Possibly in my office.”

Cas shudders. Is Crowley…did Crowley just proposition him?

“Thank you,” Cas manages to get out. “But I really must pick up Grace from school.”

“Ah,” Crowley pouts. “The daughter.”

Cas resists the urge to seethe. How dare this man refer to Grace with such contempt. He can see right through Crowley’s bullshit. Unfortunately, now is not the time to bitch out his boss. Not if he wants to keep his job, which he does, very much.

“As I said before, Mr. Crowley,” Cas goes on, inching towards the door to freedom. “I have to leave now.”

Crowley grunts, obviously annoyed. Which isn’t fair at all, seeming how these are the work hours they had settled on before he hired Cas. “Fine, just don’t be late tomorrow.”

“I won’t,” Cas promises before bolting out the door. He’s about to take out his key to unlock his Prius when he realizes that he forgot them at his desk. _What freaking Pagan god did I piss off to deserve this?_ He rushes back into the office, and frantically checks his desk. They aren’t there. Shit, shitshitshit, he can’t be late to pick up Grace. It’s only her third day, goddammit.

“Looking for these?” Cas looks up and sure enough, Crowley is standing there with his keys dangling from his fingers.

“Yes,” Cas deadpans. He makes a move to take them from Crowley but the man only swings his arm behind his back. Annoyed and frankly done with this shit, Cas growls out, “Give them to me.”

“Is that an order?” Crowley asks, one eyebrow lifting.

“Yes.”

Crowley makes a _tsk_ noise and shakes his head.

“Now, is that any way to treat your boss?”

“Is this any way to treat your employee?” Cas asks sharply. “If you do not hand over my car keys, I’ll quit.”

Crowley huffs, rolling his eyes. “As if there aren’t any other pretty boys in this city.”

A lump forms in Cas’s throat. Oh god, Crowley does have some underground pimp business going on, doesn’t he?

“Give them to me,” Cas states again. He can feel the moments dragging by. Fuck, he’s definitely going to be late to pick up Grace.

“Okay, Clarence,” Crowley deposits them into his hand and within seconds, Cas is out the door and starting his car. He’s so focused on getting to Grace, that he doesn’t even realize what Crowley called him.

He speeds a little over the speed limit to make it to Lawrence Elementary School on time, but he’s still late. The only cars left in the parking lot are in the teacher’s section.

Grace is sitting on the front steps of the school, but she isn’t alone. Beside her is Dean, who looks like is trying desperately to keep her calm. This is exactly what Cas had been afraid of; making Grace scared.

He gets out of the car and speeds up the stairs. He’s a few steps ahead of them when Dean lifts his head up and spots him. Dean nudges Grace and mumbles something so that only she can hear it, and then she looks up and their eyes connect. The relief is palpable, coming off of Grace in waves.

“Daddy!” She runs down the last few steps that are between them and promptly jumps into his arms. Cas squishes his face into the side of her head, not a care in the world that he’s getting a mouth full of hair. “I thought you forgot ‘bout me!”

“How could I ever forget about you?” Cas asks, feeling so guilty that he thinks he might implode. “You’re my Angel. I can’t live without you.”

Grace’s eyes sparkle, just as they do every time Cas calls her an Angel. He doesn’t even remember when he started it, just that it’s true and she’s loved it ever since.

Cas looks over to Dean, who’s still sitting on the steps watching them, and swallows. He needs to apologize. Dean seems to understand that they need to talk and nods, standing up and ruffling Grace’s hair.

“Mr. Winchester stayed with me when you didn’t show up,” Grace tells Cas excitedly. “I asked him ‘bout Sammy and he told me how when they were little Sammy broke his arm because he thought he could fly. Then Mr. Winchester had to take Sammy to the hospital. But now Sammy’s okay.”

Cas smiles at his daughter, glad that she’s okay, too. He’d been worried about scarring her somehow, not wanting her to be afraid that he would forget her at school. Placing a kiss to her forehead, he shuffles her on his hip to get a better grip.

“Grace, if I left you alone in the car for a few minutes with a window open, would you behave? I’ll be right outside the car, I promise, so you won’t really be alone.”

Grace nods, making an ‘x’ over her heart. “I promise, Daddy.”

“Okay, love, I just need to talk to your teacher for a minute.” Cas takes her to the car and lets her sit in the front. Usually he feels better if she sits in the back since she’s still young, but he feels guilty about being late and honestly, he wants to be close to her.

Once the door is closed and Grace is happily going through a coloring book she has in her backpack, Cas turns back to Dean. He leans against the passenger side door and lets a slow breath out. Dean stays silent, waiting for Cas to speak first.

“I’m sorry,” Cas says.

“No, Cas, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have –”

“Dean,” Cas cuts him off. “You did nothing wrong. I overreacted to something that wasn’t there. I am sorry if I worried you.”

Dean looks down for a moment, relief almost as palpable coming from him as it was from Grace just a few moments ago.

“I, uh, I’m not gonna lie,” Dean says sheepishly. “I kinda thought I’d be losing my job today because of last night.”

If Cas had been feeling guilty for anything today, that was nothing compared to what he feels now. “I’m so sorry. You have no idea.”

“Hey,” Dean puts a hand on his shoulder, eyes soft. “It’s okay. You were just looking out for Grace. Nothing wrong with that.”

Cas bites his lip, looking down for a moment before facing Dean again. “I suppose I’m a little overprotective of Grace, but I don’t want to lose her. I – I can’t lose her.”

There’s so much raw emotion behind Cas’s words, he can feel them wavering in his throat like an oversized boulder. He almost lost her once, he can’t risk it again.

“You won’t.”

Cas looks into Dean’s eyes, wary of how much sincerity is laced through Dean’s words. It’s an old cliché, but they say the eyes are windows to the soul, and Dean’s show nothing but genuine sincerity.

“Thank you, Mr. Winchester,” Cas says, realizing that he can’t have a heart to heart with his daughter’s teacher. It wouldn’t be appropriate. “Times are…difficult, these days. I appreciate your concern.”

He’s walking to the other side of his Prius, ready to get into the driver’s seat and take his little girl home, when Dean speaks again.

“I was serious the other day, when I said you could talk to me if you need to.” Again, there’s so much honesty in Dean’s eyes. “I’m a great listener, I swear.”

Cas smiles, his real smile, and nods his head in a silent thank you. So far, Dean’s the only stranger who’s shown him any real kindness since Cas and Grace have moved to Lawrence. For that, Cas is more grateful than he’s able to admit.

“Hey, Daddy?”

Cas looks over at Grace, who’s clutching her seat belt and twitching her fingers. _She’s nervous,_ he realizes.

“Yeah, sweetie?”

Grace squirms in her seat for another few moments, her bright blue eyes boring into Castiel every few seconds when he sneaks a glance from the road at her.

“Do you think I could have Hannah come over and play sometime soon, please?”

Cas’s entire body lights up like a firecracker on the fourth of July. Grace wants to have a friend over. Grace made a friend. A real friend!

“Of course, Grace, of course you can,” Cas can’t keep the raw enthusiasm out of his voice.

That means the move to Lawrence wasn’t a complete bust. Cas is practically vibrating in his seat, so full of excitement. He’s so excited, he can make them mac n cheese, he’ll let them use the entire living room, and they can jump on his bed if they want – because Cas knows that Grace misses the trampoline back at Uncle Gabe’s house – and they can play in the yard, and –

“Thank you!”

Cas is pulled from his excited haze, but continues to beam at his daughter. He’s smiling all the way back home and even when he’s standing in the kitchen making chicken nuggets and mashed potatoes for dinner.

He’d called Hannah’s mother, Hester Langman, and scheduled a play date at his apartment for tomorrow after school. Hopefully Crowley won’t try to pull anything and Cas can leave work for the weekend a little early.

Grace and Hannah are probably going to be hell on earth tomorrow during school. Cas smirks. _Good luck, Dean._ He knows from past experience that Grace is not one for patience. Like with yesterday morning, how she’d dragged him up to Mr. Winchester’s room. She had been all but running down the halls. Cas had to slow her down more than once.

Two years ago when Grace was five, she had thrown a temper tantrum for the babysitter – poor Kevin Tran – because Cas wasn’t home yet. His meeting had run overtime by fifteen minutes, making him late home. He had been in the driveway and he could hear her wails. At first, he’d thought she was hurt, but as soon as he clambered through the doorway, she’d been jumping into his arms. That was about the time Cas realized that his daughter loves him just as much as he loves her.

“Hey, Dad?” Grace asks, pulling Cas out of his reverie. She’s holding her stuffed guinea pig – the one Cas had to buy her because they can’t afford to take care of a real one just yet – like a clutch. He notes the slight wobble to her bottom lip, the way it protrudes from her teeth, all red and puffy.

Immediately, his dad instincts kick in and he’s dropping the potato masher into the pot and crouching down to wrap his daughter into a tight hug. She’s shaking a little bit, but otherwise seems fine.

“What’s wrong, Angel?”

Grace pulls away from his embrace, but allows Cas to keep his arms around her. _Oh god, is she hurt? Did someone say something to her at school?_ Grace’s eyes fill with little tears and she throws herself back into Cas’s arms.

“Oh, my little baby,” Cas clutches her close to his chest, lifting her off the kitchen floor and bringing her to the couch in the adorning living room. “What’s wrong?”

Grace sniffles a little bit before nuzzling her head into the crook of Cas’s shoulder. “You’re sad, Daddy.”

Cas is taken aback. _What?_ What is Grace talking about? He’s been happier in the past few hours than he’s been in a while. What does she mean – oh.

This is what Dean was talking about on Grace’s first day of school, and then again today. Guilt builds in his chest, making his breath stutter out. Damn it, fuck it all. He’s supposed to have it together now, for Grace. But Grace and Dean are wrong, Cas isn’t sad. Not really. He’s scared.

“Baby, look at me,” Cas whispers, tilting Grace’s s soft chin upwards a little bit so that their eyes can meet. “I’m so sorry for making you worry, sweetie, but I’m okay. I promise.”

“Pants on fire,” Grace mumbles. Cas’s face splits into a broad grin. He’s starting to regret teaching her that saying.

“I’m not lying, Grace.”

Grace smiles, a wobbly little smile, and places a small hand onto Cas’s left cheek. Tiny fingers brush under his eyes, the same eyes that she has.

“Let me help, Daddy,” Grace pleads. “Mr. Winchester told me I should ask first.”

Cas smiles despite himself. Of course Dean would be helping Grace out, too. It warms his heart to know that he’s not the only one who’s looking out for her.

“You _are_ helping, baby,” Cas tells her, tickling her ribs and making her squeal. They’re both giggling within seconds, a tickle war being enacted. Cas, of course, goes easy on her, but she gives it right back.

“I surrender!” Cas giggles, protecting his sides with his arms. Grace is ruthless, though, and keeps trying to tickle him. “White flag! I surrender!”

“Do you hail me queen?” Graces asks, halting her evil fingers for a moment.

“Of course, my lady,” Cas plays along.

Grace squints at him skeptically, but moves her hands away and gets up off the couch. She runs around it a few times, yelling out, “I’m the queen!”

“Queen Grace,” Cas smiles, scooping her up as she runs by and twirling her around in the air. “You see, Angel, how can I be sad if you’re here?”

Grace beams, her eyes lighting up like constellations. She boops him on the nose and giggles.

“I love you, Daddy.”

“I love you, too, Queen Grace.”

 

**~~*~~*~~*~~*~~**

 

A week later and Grace hasn’t mentioned her worry about Cas again. He doesn’t mention it either, but he does his best to seem excited and as worry-free as possible. He’s still checking _The Boston Globe_ newspaper every night, though. So far he hasn’t seen any new news about Meg, but he’s been sleeping with one eye open.

Grace’s playdate with Hannah was amazing. Grace hadn’t been that excited about playing with a friend in years. Cas rather liked Hannah, she was very polite – always saying “please” and “thank you” whenever Cas was around.

They’d played dress up, and somehow the two girls convinced Cas to join in. He was dressed up as a cowboy; he had a paper hat and they found an old oversized belt in one of the boxes of clothes he hadn’t unpacked yet.

Grace and Hannah had both been queens, and Cas was their loyal servant. He supposes they didn’t understand what a cowboy’s function is, but he was glad to have been invited to play with them.

Even right now, Grace is still insisting that he calls her Queen Grace.

“Mr. Winchester won’t call me Queen Grace!” Said Queen pouts to Cas when he picks her up from school.

Cas frowns, but just for show. Dean is by no way obligated to call her Queen Grace. Although, it does seem like something he would do.

“And why not?” Cas asks, shuffling her on his hip. Damn, she’s starting to get heavy.

“He said that he only has one Queen in his life,” Grace mutters, staring daggers at a point that is not Cas. He follows her gaze and sees that she’s glaring at Dean. He laughs lowly at the way Dean is mock bowing towards her from across the elementary school lobby. Even though he’s laughing, there’s a weird emotion playing inside him. Something dark. Is it _jealousy?_ But why?

Dean walks over to them, bowing once more when he’s in front of Grace.

“Daddy, make him call me by my title!” Grace whines. “He won’t call Hannah by her title either.”

Dean smiles, shaking his head a couple times. “No can do, Miss Grace.”

“I can’t make him do anything,” Cas tells her. “He’s your teacher.”

“Besides, little lady,” Dean goes on. “Like I already told you, I only serve one queen.”

Again with that dark emotion swirling through him. Cas pushes it down, way down, deep deep deep down. It’s stupid, he has absolutely no reason to feel jealous because Dean’s taken.

“Who’s your queen?” Cas asks in spite of the unwarranted jealousy churning his stomach.

Dean smirks, and screw him for making a few butterflies fly through the swirls of jealousy. “The other second grade teacher at this school, Mrs. Bradbury.”

An office romance? Does the school board know about it? Doesn’t matter, because Cas won’t tell on them. It doesn’t matter if he’s suddenly envious of Mrs. Bradbury – so they aren’t married? – but he won’t ruin their relationship.

“But you can have three queens!” Grace pouts, an adorable little frown gracing her features.

Dean’s eyes visibly grow larger as he bites back a laugh, obviously not intending to offend Grace.

“I don’t think that’s how monarchies work, but I’ll keep it in mind.”

“So you’ll think about it?” Grace asks with a hopeful smile.

Dean smiles back; so open and pure that Cas once again feels guilty for thinking the worst of the man at the grocery store. He’s just so goddamn protective of Grace. He would have had the same reaction even if it was Gabe that had said what Dean said.

“Perhaps,” is all Dean says, but Grace lights up anyway.

“Thanks, Mr. Winchester!”

“Yeah, you’re welcome, squirt. Now go and do your homework, it’s only five questions.”

Grace frowns, but must not be able to hold it for long because the next moment she’s squirming around in Cas’s arms and giggling.

“C’mon Daddy, I want to watch Star Trek with you!”

Dean positively grins at that.

“Teaching her young to like the classics?”

Cas laughs. If only that were true. Grace was the one to introduce him to movies of all kinds. Although, he has suspicions that it was Gabe who really got her into them.

“Nope, she’s teaching me.” Cas smiles all the way to the car with the image of Dean’s dumbstruck expression plastered into his mind.


	4. Chapter Four

“Alright starship commanders, let’s sit down in our seats!” Dean barks out playfully. He points a finger at the short blonde kid in the back of the room pretending to be a lion. “And that includes you, Simba!”

The kid – Alfie – pouts but returns to his assigned seat. It’s Friday, and that means that no one, not even Dean, particularly wants to be in class. The hype of the oncoming weekend is too great for their school week addled minds.

Getting his classroom full of seven year olds to calm down after recess has always been a feat, but on a Friday, it’s practically impossible.

“We’ve still got three more hours of class, and if you all behave then we might go out and have an extra recess at the end of the day.” This gets a rise out of the class; one boy even screams. Dean fights the urge to cover his ears. “Only if all of you behave!”

The students quiet down, not as quickly as Dean would have liked, but soon enough. Out of the corner of his eye, he notices Hannah passing a note to Benny. It’s obvious that she’s trying to be discreet, but a second grader can only be so inconspicuous before their teacher is bound to notice. With a sigh, Dean walks over to her desk.

“Would you like to share with the class, Hannah?”

The little brunette’s eyes open widely, and for a second Dean’s afraid that they’re going to bulge right out of her head. Hannah shakes her head violently, attempting to clutch the small ripped up piece of paper to her chest.

“C’mon Hannah, you know the rule.” Dean had to set up the rule at the beginning of the year when the daily amount of notes being passed had reached an all-time high of twenty seven. There were only eighteen students in the class at the time. Except now in November, there are nineteen. What had gotten the kids to stop passing notes was the threat of having to read them aloud to the rest of the class. Before now, Dean hadn’t seen a single note passed in months.

Hannah’s still shaking her head when she thrusts the note across her desk. Next to her, Grace is looking on with wide eyes.

Dean opens up the note while clearing his throat. The entire class is silent.

“Benny, thank you so sosososoooo much for the ring you made me!” Whereas Dean would have changed his voice to be high pitched and girly, he doesn’t this time due to the violent blush already working its way down Hannah’s face. “I promise to wear it every day. I love you! Love, Hannah.”

By the time Dean’s finished reading the letter, Hannah has drooped down so far in her chair that Dean’s afraid she’s going to slide right down onto the floor. Benny isn’t in much of a better state. A ping of regret surges through Dean, but he stomps it down. Hannah was well aware of the rule when she passed the note.

“Ewwww,” a bunch of the boys in the back of the room yell simultaneously as a chorus of “aww”s come from most of the girls.

“No more notes in class?” Dean asks Hannah with a sympathetic expression. Hannah nods her head and sinks down further in her seat. It’s then that Dean notices the small wadded up paper sitting on Hannah’s hand. _Huh, that must be the ring Benny made her._

This isn’t an unusual occurrence. In Dean’s few years of working at this school, already there have been seven ‘couples’ between his students. Only one of them lasted for more than a week. All of them, however, consisted of love confessions. Dean never told someone he loved them until he was at least in his twenties. But then again, Sam’s always said that Dean’s emotionally stunted.

“That’s a very pretty ring, Hannah,” Dean tells her, squatting down so that they’re eye level. Hannah looks up from where she was staring holes into her desk; her eyes twinkling. “It was very nice of Benny to make it for you.”

“Thank you, Mr. Winchester,” Hannah whispers.

“My Daddy has a ring, too,” Grace pipes up, drawing Dean’s attention. “But he never wears it.”

“Yeah?” Dean prompts. He really shouldn’t, especially since it’s the middle of the school day, but he can’t help it. Damn those blue eyes, he can’t say no to them. Even though some students are starting to go off onto side conversations, he can’t bring himself to bring the class back together. Not quite yet.

“I think it’s a wedding ring, but he isn’t married,” Grace says with a frown. “I’ve walked into his room before and he was sitting on his bed holding it in his hands.”

Oh shit.

Grace continues, still frowning, except now it’s deeper. She looks older, much more mature than a seven year old should have to be.

“He looked really sad, Mr. Winchester, really _really_ sad. It’s happened lots of times. And whenever I ask him ‘bout it, he always puts the ring in a little box and then takes me out for ice cream.”

Grace lowers her voice so that only Dean can hear her. “I think he needs the ice cream more than me, though.”

“Hmm,” Dean murmurs, trying to process this new information. “I suppose you’re right.”

“Yeah, but he barely ever looks at the ring. Maybe only once a year.”

_Anniversary._ The word slips through Dean’s mind.

“Was your dad ever married, Grace?” Dean really shouldn’t pry, but he can’t help it. The urge to know more about the enigma that is Castiel Novak is too great.

Grace scrunches up her face in thought. It’s actually quite adorable.

“I don’t think so,” Grace squints and tilts her head to the side. “It’s always been just me and my daddy.”

Dean nods his head, offering a soft smile to Grace. She looks upset, even more so than on her first day when she asked to check in on her dad.

He’d felt bad, of course, telling her that she couldn’t call her dad unless it was an emergency, but she had understood. Still though, it didn’t make him feel any less guilty. Especially with how Cas and Grace seem to light up whenever they’re around each other. The call probably would have been nice.

“Ooo!” Hannah squeals, seemingly having forgotten her embarrassment. “Why don’t you have a ring, Mr. Winchester? Benny can make you one!”

Hannah’s loud, so much so, that the entire class starts to tune in.

“Well,” Dean rubs the back of his neck, an old nervous tick. “That’s because I’m not married.”

“Do you have a girlfriend?” Amelia, a short charismatic girl in the third row, asks.

“Nope.” Dean should really change the subject and bring the class back to what they’re supposed to be doing; long division.

“Do you have a _boyfriend?_ ” Benny asks.

This time, Dean can’t help from squawking, his entire face turning bright red.

“You do!” Hannah shouts, pure glee radiating off of her. The entire class gets rowdy, no doubt trying to guess who Dean’s boyfriend is.

“No,” Dean grumbles, but no one seems to be listening. “Alright class,” Dean raises his voice to reclaim their attention. Nineteen sets of eyes all stare back at him. “I do not have a boyfriend, a girlfriend, a wife, or a husband. We’re going to practice our long division now or no extra recess.”

Dean turns to the whiteboard behind him and gets half a problem down before he hears a pointed cough from behind him. He internally groans, knowing that his class just won’t let this thing go. Turning around, he sees Grace holding her hand up politely. Her blue eyes are pleading for him to call on her, and well, he can’t say no.

“Yes, Grace?”

“Do you have a crush on someone that you want to be your boyfriend?”

For all the quietness that the class had been two seconds ago, it’s gone. Everyone’s talking again, many sending out thanks to Grace for asking the question. Dean feels his face heat up. He needs to choose his answer very carefully. The last thing he needs to do is tell a seven year old that he has a crush on their dad. Goddamn, when did Dean start having crushes?

“Maybe.” The class erupts into a chorus of cheers. Dean knew he should have gone to medical school instead of getting a teaching degree. He hears someone in the back of the room guess that he has a crush on Chris Evans, which gets a laugh out of him. “That’s all I’ll say. And I’m serious this time. No more questions about relationships or you won’t have extra recess.”

No more questions come for the rest of the day, and unfortunately, Dean is lulled into a false sense of security. He takes the kids out for an extra recess, just as he’d promised, and they spend the rest of the school day out on the playground. He even joins them at one point, swinging across the monkey bars and going down the slides.

At one point he catches Metatron throw sand at Hannah, Grace, and Amelia. The last thing he wants in his classroom is bullying, in any form. Metatron gets a ten minute time out, which he spends glaring at Dean the entire time. Dean’s been glared at by so many seven year olds in his time as a teacher, that at this point he’s practically immune.

Anyway, by the time the buses and parents arrive, the kids are all too tired to even be upset that recess is over. Dean herds the class into the lobby of the school, allowing the kids that take the bus home to leave through the front doors. Everyone else goes to their parents. There are only three kids left by the time all the parents are gone; Benny, whose mother had told Dean that she might be a few minutes late; Grace, whose dad is almost always here on time; and Alfie.

Benny’s mom and Alfie’s dad pick them up within the next few minutes, leaving Dean alone with Grace. She sighs, obviously upset and concerned by the lack of her father’s presence.

“What do you say we wait out on the front steps again, huh?” Dean asks.

Grace nods, but doesn’t say anything. The two make their way out the front doors, and silently take a seat at the top of the stairs. Cas’s car isn’t in sight. Grace sighs again.

“What’s up, squirt?”

Grace looks down at her feet and mumbles, “He’s s’posed to be here.”

Dean’s heart breaks a little bit, but this isn’t his first rodeo. “He will be.”

Grace still doesn’t look up from her feet. Dean would wrap his arm around her to comfort her like he always did with Sammy, but the last thing he needs is to get charged with assault.

“I’m sure your dad’s just running a little late.” Still though, Grace doesn’t look up. Dean’s quiet for a moment before he asks, “Do you want to play a game?”

Grace looks up, her expression guarded. “What type of game?”

Dean makes a show of thinking about it; scrunching up his forehead and rubbing his stubble. “Hmmm, we can play I spy.”

Grace lights up. “I get to go first!”

“Alright,” Dean smiles.

“I spy with my little eye,” Grace pauses, looking around the parking lot and playground. “Something black.”

Usually, Dean’s a pro at this game. Whenever he plays with the kids, they almost always stare right at the object that he’s supposed to be guessing. He’d guess a few random things to make the kid feel like he was fooled, but then he’d go and guess the object of the kid’s affection. But not Grace. No, she keeps her eyes right on Dean the entire time after glancing over the entire panorama around them.

He’s got to step up his game.

“Is it,” Dean looks around, noticing that Grace is wearing a pair of shiny black Mary Janes. “Your shoes?”

Grace smiles, a secretive little smile. “Nope.”

“What about the tires on that car?”

“No.”

“The top of the flag pole?”

“Nuh-uh.”

“The sides of the bench in the playground?”

“Nope.”

Dean’s stumped. Those are all the usual things kids tend to pick out. But then again, Grace isn’t staring at anything like one of the usual kids either. He takes another sweep across his view when finally, something catches his attention.

“My car?”

Grace blinks up at him, her blue eyes wide. “That’s _your_ car?” She points to it, and yup, that’s Dean’s Baby.

“Fixed her up myself.”

There’s excitement in her eyes now. “My daddy likes your car!”

Amusement sparks a small grin on Dean’s face. “Does he now?”

“Mhm,” Grace nods. “He always looks at it and smiles when he picks me up from school.”

“Huh,” Dean rolls the idea of taking Cas out for a ride in his Baby around in his mind, but eventually decides against it. Too risky.

“It’s your turn, Mr. Winchester,” Grace reminds him.

Dean refocuses, glancing around. Still no sight of Cas anywhere. “I spy with my little eye…something green.”

Grace scrunches up her face, but looks around.

“Is it the car parked near yours?”

“Nope.”

“The grass?”

“Good guess, but wrong again.”

Grace bites her lip, looking around more fervently. Finally, her gaze wonders to the side where the playground is situated.

“Is it the slide?”

Dean grins. He already knew that Grace would get it quickly. “Yup.”

Grace’s entire face breaks out into a brilliant smile. The stretch of her lips only widens when the sound of a car speeding into the parking lot catches their attention.

“Daddy!” Grace shouts, hopping up from the step she was sitting on and running down the stairs. Cas parks right by the front steps, throwing the car into park and meeting Grace at the bottom of the stairs. She jumps up into his arms and lets out a squeal. Dean’s heart melts all over again.

“Daddy, guess what!” Grace is practically radiating, she’s so happy.

Cas looks at her, but his normal smile is a little shaky. Grace doesn’t seem to notice yet, she’s too excited, but Dean does. Now that he looks at Cas properly, he can see that the man’s hair is even more disheveled than normal – who knew that was possible? – and his tie is askew.

Dean doesn’t say anything about it, not wanting to alert Grace.

“What, Angel?”

“You know that car you smile at all the time?” Grace is jumping up and down in Cas’s arms. It’s actually quite adorable.

“Yes?” And come to think of it, even Cas’s eyes look a little bit off.

“That’s Mr. Winchester’s car!”

At first, Cas doesn’t seem to have any outward reaction, but then he smiles up at his daughter.

“Is it?” He looks over his daughter’s shoulder at Dean. “I should have known. No one else’s personality could fit a car so well.”

For a moment, Dean’s not sure whether it’s a compliment or not. Cas smiles though, and that clears things up.

“Thanks, I think.”

“I should be thanking you,” Cas goes on. “I’m sorry that I was late, there was a, uh,” Cas seems to stutter, not sure what he should say. Or maybe, what he _can_ say. “There was a bit of a hold up at work.”

“Wait, shit, there was a robbery?” Dean asks. The Lawrence bank hasn’t had a break-in in years. Not since Dean was a kid himself. Grace gasps, and that’s when Dean realizes that he just swore. “I’m sorry, Grace. Let’s pretend I didn’t say that.”

“ _No_ ,” Cas says gravely. “I don’t work at the bank, I work at King’s Pawnshop.”

Dean knows that his jaw must be hanging on the ground, but he can’t lift it back up. There’s no way that he just heard Cas correctly.

“Crowley’s place?” Dean resolutely refuses to acknowledge the squeak in his voice.

“Yes.” Cas doesn’t look too excited about it either. But didn’t Cas say he was an accountant? What’s he doing in a pimp business? Is he one of Crowley’s boys? Dean contemplates telling Cas all the horror stories he’s heard about the place, but he can’t do so in front of Grace. “I manage all of the book keeping.”

All the air comes out of Dean at once, relief so palpable that he’s surprised he doesn’t fall right over. Good, so Cas isn’t a stripper. Crowley doesn’t treat his employees well, and Dean should know. Before he became a teacher, he lasted three days before he quit that place. He shudders now just thinking about it.

“Oh, um,” Dean rubs the back of his neck awkwardly. “It’s alright, by the way. If you’re late, don’t worry about it. I’ll make sure Grace isn’t alone.”

“Thank you,” Cas says earnestly.

Grace looks up at Dean, a curious little glint in her eye. She looks back at her dad, the same curiosity sparkling. She looks between them once more before a small little secretive smile unfurls on her lips and she practically smashes her face into Castiel’s shoulder.

“C’mon, Daddy, let’s go home.”

Cas acquiesces, ruffling her blonde hair.

“Thank you, again.”

“Don’t worry so much,” Dean tells him. But even after they drive away, Dean knows that Cas won’t stop.

 

**~~*~~*~~*~~*~~**

 

Grace looks around her bedroom, her gaze stopping at her stuffed guinea pig. She doesn’t even like guinea pigs, but her dad does. It had made him happy when she’d pretended to love the toy, which in turn made her happy. She loves the toy, but only because it makes her dad happy. Seeing her dad really happy isn’t that common these days.

Making the trek across her room, Grace grabs the stuffed animal and hugs it to her chest. She’s still worried about her dad, but she can’t tell him. He’ll just deny being upset again. She sighs. When she’d asked Mr. Winchester what to do, he’d told her that maybe her dad needed some time, that maybe the move was harder on him than she thought.

Grace didn’t exactly buy the whole ‘best burgers in the country’ thing her dad had told her for why they were moving. He’d come home one day in a flurry and told Grace to pack all her stuff and put it in boxes. A week later, they were arriving in Lawrence, Kansas.

Grace sighs again. It would be easier to help her dad if she knew what she was helping with.

“He’s such a butt,” Grace mutters to herself, but she doesn’t mean it. She loves her dad; he’s her best friend in the whole entire world. Hannah comes as a close second.

_Ugh, Hannah_ , Grace thinks. She has to talk to her, as soon as possible. Hannah will know what to do, she’ll be able to help out. Grace smiles to herself, remembering what had happened only an hour ago. The way that her dad and Mr. Winchester had been looking at each other. She ends up giggling, just thinking about how oblivious she’s been lately.

Her dad is totally into her teacher.

And Mr. Winchester said he had a crush on someone he wanted to be his boyfriend!

But what if the guy isn’t her dad? Grace pouts, not liking the idea. This is why she needs Hannah. Maybe she can ask her dad if Hannah can come over this weekend. They’re probably not busy.

She clutches her stuffed animal guinea pig closer to her chest. Dad would probably be much happier if he were dating Mr. Winchester. Hadn’t she heard him being called Dean before? She thinks that might be his name. Grace only knows that her dad’s into guys as well as girls because he sat her down once a few years ago and gave her a long talk about sexualities and how there are lots of different types and that they’re all okay. Dad is something he calls ‘pansexual.’ He told her that it didn’t mean he likes pans, but that he’s attracted to any type of person. He said it was a little more complicated than that, but he’d explain when she gets older.

Grace has never had a boyfriend, but Hannah’s dating Benny now. She supposes she’s still young. And besides, she isn’t looking for anyone to date. She’s quite alright with being single.

“Hey, kiddo,” Dad knocks on the side of the door and sticks his head into the room. “What are you thinking for dinner?”

Grace studies her dad, tilting her head to the side and staring intently. He seems a bit off today. His voice is just slightly higher than normal; a dead giveaway that he’s hiding something.

“I don’t know,” she replies. “I think it’s your turn to pick.”

Dad tilts his head, too. She probably learned it from him. “Are you sure? I could have sworn I picked last night.”

Grace nods eagerly. Dad _had_ picked last night, but he needs the pick me up.

“Okay,” there’s a grateful little smile on Dad’s lips. “How does pizza sound.”

“Good!” Grace twirls a little in place, keeping the stuffed guinea pig clutched to her chest. “Daddy?”

“Yes, Queen Grace?”

Grace smiles; she’d almost forgot about that. “Can Hannah sleep over tonight?” She’s never had a sleep over before, but she’s wanted to for months now. She’s old enough now, right?

Dad’s eyes widen, the blue almost taking over every white space. The first time she remembers ever seeing that happen she had gone and found a mirror and practiced doing it herself. She has the same exact eyes as her daddy. It makes her very proud.

“Sleep over?” Dad asks, a brow rising slightly. However, he doesn’t look put off by the idea. “You sure you’re ready for that?”

“I am,” Grace pleads with her voice. “I’ve never had a sleep over before, Dad, please. I promise we’ll be good, I promise!”

Dad deliberates for a moment before a wide grin stretches across his face. “Well, if you think you’re ready, then I can go call Mrs. Langman and ask if she’s alright with Hannah sleeping over.”

“Thank you!” Grace squeals, wrapping her arms around her Dad’s legs. “I love you, Casteel.”

Dad laughs, crouching down to give Grace a proper hug. “You were closer this time, Cas-tee-el.”

“I’ll get it someday,” Grace tells him. And she means it. One of these days she’ll be able to say his full name correctly and then he’ll never have to correct her again.

“I’m sure you will, baby,” Dad tells her with a quick squeeze before standing back up and heading back to the kitchen slash living room area. “I’ll call Mrs. Langman right now and ask about Hannah.”

 

 

**~~*~~*~~*~~*~~**

 

“Hannah!” Grace squeals when her best friend rings the doorbell to their apartment. Hannah gives a similar squeal before attacking Grace with a hug. Mrs. Langman laughs in the doorway, holding Hannah’s overnight bag. From behind them, Dad makes his way to the front door, dish rag still in hand from cooking.

“Mrs. Langman,” Dad starts, holding out his hands to take Hannah’s bag. Mrs. Langman gives it to him thankfully. “Thank you for allowing Hannah to sleep over.”

“I’m sure she’ll be good. Right, Hannah?” Mrs. Langman gives Hannah a pointed look and Hannah quickly nods her head. “Good luck, Cas. Hopefully they’re not too rambunctious.”

Dad laughs along with Hannah’s mom, but Grace doesn’t stick around to hear them small talk. Taking Hannah’s hand in hers and grabbing Hannah’s overnight bag from her dad, Grace takes off down the hallway and into her room.

“Bye, Mom!” Hannah shouts from behind her, running with Grace and giggling. As soon as they get in the room, she closes the door behind them and collapses onto her pink and white bed. Hannah follows suit.

Grace turns her head so that she can see Hannah straight on. “This is my first sleepover,” she tells her friend.

Hannah grins. “Mine, too.”

“I’m glad your mom said yes.”

Hannah giggles. “She’s just as excited as I am.”

“I think my dad is, too.” Grace gets a mischievous glint in her eyes. “I wanted to talk to you ‘bout my dad.”

Hannah squints. “What about him?”

Grace looks over to her bedroom door, checking to make sure it’s shut. Dad and Hannah’s mom’s voices are still coming from the front door of the apartment.

“I think he has a crush on Mr. Winchester,” Grace says quickly. It feels different saying it aloud. A giddy smile unfurls on her lips. Her dad has a crush on someone. She could do a happy dance right now if she really wanted to.

Hannah blinks back at her, her large eyes sparkling. “No way.”

“Yeah-huh.”

“How do you know?” Hannah asks. Her words sound skeptical but her expression is optimistic. Grace takes a deep breath before explaining.

“Well,” Grace begins, checking once more to hear her dad’s voice from across the apartment. He’s still talking to Hannah’s mom. “I didn’t realize it ‘till today. But if I think ‘bout it, I think maybe he mighta liked him from the beginning.”

“Go on,” Hannah says with a scrunched forehead.

“They stare at each other lots, like _a lot_ a lot, and when they do that they barely even notice that I’m there. And then today, when I told Daddy that the car he likes is Mr. Winchester’s car, he smiled real big. And whenever I say anything ‘bout Mr. Winchester, my daddy always gets this little smile on his face.”

Hannah smiles sweetly, her eyes looking far away. “Awww,” she murmurs. “I think you might be right, Grace. My mommy always does that whenever I talk about my daddy.”

Grace positively grins at that, her entire body electrified with excitement.

“We gotta get them together,” Hannah says.

Grace couldn’t agree more.


	5. Chapter Five

Cas chews his bottom lip nervously and checks his phone again. No new messages. _C’mon, Gabe, text me back!_

He’d texted his older brother, Gabriel, a half hour ago asking for any new information on Meg. Gabe almost always texts back quickly. The wait is what’s making Cas’s anxiety spike. It’s been four weeks without any news on Meg, neither good or bad. Cas is so desperate he’s shaking.

The kettle boils and he jumps. God dammit, he’s too worked up. A tea kettle boiling shouldn’t cause him to jump three feet in the air. Cas rubs a hand down his face, grimacing at his apparent exhaustion. Moving all the way to freaking Kansas was supposed to get rid of Cas’s anxiety over Meg, but so far nothing has changed.

He won’t feel safe unless he knows exactly where she is. Like when she was in jail.

“Daddy?”

Cas turns around and plasters a fake smile on his face. Grace is looking up at him with a snack size bag of cheez-its in her left hand.

“Yes, baby?” Cas crouches down so that he’s eye level with his daughter, momentarily forgetting about the text message he’s waiting for.

“Do you wanna cheez-it?”

Cas grins, scooping his daughter into a hug. “Those are your cheez-its, Grace.”

“But I wanna share one with you.” Grace adopts an adorable little pout, shoving her free hand into the snack bag and holding one cracker out for Cas to take.

Cas looks down at the orange cracker, studying it skeptically. Why is Grace randomly deciding to share her snacks with him? She’d been in her room finishing a coloring assignment for school.

“Why?”

Grace frowns, and this time it’s not quite as adorable. Cas can see a temper tantrum on the horizons.

“’Cause I want you tah eat it!” Grace almost shouts.

“Okay, sweetie,” Cas says, taking the cracker out of her hand and plopping it into his mouth. Immediately he’s overcome by the urge to spit it out, but knows that it would just hurt her feelings. What the hell? Did she coat the thing in sugar?

A huge – and frankly, quite suspicious – smile breaks out on Grace’s lips and she skips around Cas where he’s crouched on the kitchen tiles. Cas swallows down the disgusting cracker and stands back up to prepare his tea.

“Do you feel any different, Daddy?”

Cas can feel his throat drop down into his stomach. _Oh god, what did Grace do?_

“What did you do to that cheez-it, Grace?” Cas asks gravely, allowing his voice to drop lower. He’s not one to yell at his daughter, or anyone for that matter, but if he just got poisoned, he’s going to make his ire clear.

Grace blinks up at him, an innocent little expression on her face. “Nothing.”

“Grace–”

“I put magic on it!” Grace splutters, cutting him off.

Cas tilts his head in confusion. “What type of magic?”

“Sugar,” Grace mumbles, a small smile still on her lips.

So Cas had been right, it was sugar that was all over that cracker.

“Why?”

Grace makes a motion for Cas to lean down, so he does. He waits for her to whisper something in his ear but all she does is boop him on the nose and skip out of the kitchen.

“It’s a secret!” Grace shouts from the hallway, predictably still skipping to her room. Cas stares after her, wondering why the hell she thought that pouring sugar onto a cheez-it made it magical. He shrugs, returning to pouring his tea, when his phone vibrates. _New text message from Gabriel._

“Fucking finally,” Cas mutters, grabbing the phone and unlocking it.

_What’s up, little bro? :p I haven’t heard anything about Meg in a while…I’m assuming nothings going on. Tell the kiddo I say hi! I miss both you losers! :)_

Cas exhales a sigh of relief. He’s been so worried about Meg lately, it feels like heaven getting to finally relax. Wrapping his hands around his warm cup of tea, Cas sinks down into one of the kitchen chairs and closes his eyes. Flashes of water splash through his mind unwelcome, taking him under and cutting off his airways. In his mind, he’s screaming, yelling out against the events that occur behind his eyelids, his entire chest tight with apprehension and cold fear.

He blinks away the flashback, coming back to the present. He’s sitting in a chair with a mug of tea in his hands, and Grace is in her room. They’re in Lawrence, not Boston. He’s almost fifteen hundred miles away from his nightmares; away from _her._

 

**~~*~~*~~*~~*~~**

 

Grace looks to her right and locks eyes with Hannah. The brunette gives her a small nod and Grace nods back. Operation Mr. Winchester Eats Magic Just Like Daddy Did is a go. Slinking down from her seat during snack time, Grace takes her last cheez-it – the one she covered in sugar last night – in hand and approaches Mr. Winchester’s desk. Her teacher is grading tests, but he looks up when she gets close enough to be in his vision.

“Hello, Dean,” Grace tries out. She’s still not sure if that’s Mr. Winchester’s real name. Her teacher tilts his head to the side, slightly narrowing his eyes.

“Hey, Grace. How’d you know my first name?”

Grace grins. _So she was right!_

“Heard it somewhere…” Grace trails off, twirling her body around and swaying her arms. “I have a present for you.” She holds out the sugar coated cheez-it and watches as Mr. Winchester’s eyes widen in surprise.

“What’s this?”

“It’s a cheez-it! They’re my daddy’s favorite.” It may be a lie, but Grace knows that it’s for the greater good. If Mr. Winchester eats the magic cheez-it then he and Daddy will fall completely in love. It’s her and Hannah’s fail proof plan.

“And you…want me to eat it?” Mr. Winchester asks, allowing Grace to drop the cracker into his palm.

“Uh-huh!”

Dean looks at her skeptically for a few moments and Grace is afraid that their plan failed. They’d have to move on to plan B – fake injury. But before she can figure out which bone she’s going to pretend to break, Mr. Winchester shrugs and pops the cheez-it into his mouth. His face scrunches up, clearly resisting spitting out the cracker, but in the end he swallows.

A wide grin splits Grace’s face. Daddy ate the magic cracker last night, so now they have to fall in love. It’s simple science – the two people who eat the magic cheez-its will be together forever. A giddy excitement bursts inside Grace as she skips back to her seat next to Hannah and giggles along with her best friend.

“He ate it!” Hannah squeals.

“Now they’ll be in love forever!”

Amelia walks over to them, bringing her apple slices along. “Who’s gonna be in love forever?”

“Mr. Winchester and my daddy,” Grace tells her proudly.

Amelia makes a face, looking confused. “But they can’t be in love, they’re both boys!”

Grace was ready for this. Her daddy taught her that not everybody was very nice about boys liking boys and girls liking girls. _I don’t get it. Love is love,_ Grace thinks.

“They can, and they are.”

“But my mommy and daddy –”

Hannah cuts Amelia off. “Are wrong. Grace’s daddy and Mr. Winchester are in love and there’s nothing an’body can do about it.”

Amelia frowns but doesn’t say anything else, instead choosing to munch on an apple slice. Grace and Hannah spend the rest of snack time coloring in hearts and writing _Cas loves Dean_ and _Dean loves Cas_ inside them. Hannah cuts them out and Grace stuffs them into her backpack in her cubby before Mr. Winchester is able to catch sight of them.

Later, at recess, while Hannah holds Benny’s hand, Grace tells them an elaborate tale of how her dad is going to woo Mr. Winchester.

“My daddy’s gonna bake him a _huge_ cake, as big as the school, and then he’ll draw a bunch of hearts on it in frosting. Then he’ll ride a dragon to Mr. Winchester’s house and Mr. Winchester will be so happy that he’ll pass out but my daddy will save him and then they’ll kiss and there’ll be fireworks and then I’ll have two daddies and we’ll be a family and Uncle Gabe will move here from Boston and we can finally get a real guinea pig because I know my daddy really wants one and Sammy can move here, too and we can have ice cream for dinner every night and my daddy will finally be happy. Really, _really_ happy!”

Hannah grabs Grace by the arm and steadies her from where she was walking around in circles. Hannah’s eyes are wide with concern.

“Grace, breathe!”

Grace stops her tirade and takes a deep breath. She really can’t stop from being excited, though. Her daddy’s finally going to be happy!

Benny squints at Grace, tilting his head suspiciously. “Heeey, if Mr. Winchester becomes your second daddy, then do you not have to do homework?”

Grace perks up at that. Could it be – Nah. She shakes her head. She’d definitely still have to do homework. But then maybe Mr. Winchester could help her. She likes that idea. Her sitting at the kitchen table coloring in a puppy and writing a few sentences about it. Mr. Winchester would be sitting next to her, helping her to spell out all the words correctly and making sure she colors inside the lines. Daddy would be cooking dinner, and he’d occasionally walk by and he’d kiss Mr. Winchester and ruffle Grace’s hair.

Grace wants it to be true so badly it hurts.

 

**~~*~~*~~*~~*~~**

Cas hooks Grace’s and his bikes to the bike rack on the back of his Prius and dusts his hands off. It’s mid-November now, meaning that there’s only a few weeks left before it’s definitely too cold to go on bike rides. It’s for that reason that on this particular Saturday, Cas decides that he and Grace need to take advantage of the good weather they have.

“You ready, pumpkin?” Cas asks as he hops into the car. Grace is already wearing her helmet.

“Yeah!”

The park is only a few minutes away from their apartment building. Many people also bring their dogs to the park, and Cas knows that Grace is a big fan of all animals. Unfortunately, the apartment complex they’re staying at right now doesn’t allow for any type of pet other than a fish.

“Were you ever married?”

The question comes out of nowhere. Cas is so shocked that he almost swerves into the other lane, barely avoiding a head on collision with a pickup truck. Safely in his own lane once again, Cas risks a look at Grace. She looks slightly scared, but more curious than anything.

“Why do you ask?”

Grace huffs, a habit Cas really wishes he hadn’t given to her. “Daddy, you’re avoiding the question.”

Cas swallows, instinctually checking his mirrors to make sure that nothing’s out of the ordinary. Everything looks normal. Still, a cold sweat starts to form in the middle of Cas’s back and he grips the steering wheel tighter.

Grace waits for his answer, staring at Cas the entire time until he finally cracks and spits out, “Yes.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Grace asks, a pout on her lips.

Cas feels like he’s been stabbed through the heart. He never meant to hide it from Grace – just what was necessary to keep a secret. He hadn’t realized how much he had kept from her until now.

“I didn’t know it was important to you. I’m sorry, buttercup.”

How had his own daughter not even known that he’s been married before? It’s been seven years, Castiel!

“Was it a boy or a girl?” Grace asks, curiosity bleeding into her voice.

“Your mother is a girl.” Cas hates this. He hates connecting Grace to Meg. He wants to keep Grace as far away from that psycho as possible. Meg may be Grace’s mother, but she will never be her mom.

“What’s her name?” Oh fuck, now Grace is excited. Slight tremors are starting to shake through Cas’s body as he grips the steering wheel like a life line.

“M-Meg,” Cas stutters. The two – Grace and Cas – are almost always fine-tuned to each other’s emotions. They always know when the other is upset; it’s always been that way. Except now, Grace is too excited by this new information to notice the way Cas is two seconds away from puking out the window.

“Can I meet her?”

“ _NO!_ ”

The outburst is met with complete silence. Cas instantly feels guilty for yelling at Grace. She hadn’t done anything wrong, all she’d wanted was to find out more about her mother. There are tears forming in Grace’s eyes, which means tears of his own are starting to form in Cas’s eyes.

Cas turns on the blinker and pulls the car off to the side of the road. Grace’s tears have started to spill over and her arms are crossed over her chest. Cas’s chest tightens dangerously. Unbuckling, he turns so that he can face Grace directly. His throat is tight when he sees the wet mess all over Grace’s face. He caused that.

“ _Grace_ ,” Cas says it like a prayer. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to yell at you, you didn’t do anything wrong.”

Grace hiccups on her tears. “But you got mad at me.”

“No, baby,” Cas leans forward and wraps her into a hug, seat belt and awkward positioning and everything. “I wasn’t angry with _you_ , I promise. Angel, I just really, _really_ don’t like talking about your mother.”

Grace blinks up at him, her eyes still red and glossy. “Why not?”

“Because she’s a very bad lady,” Cas tells her. He doesn’t want to go into detail – scratch that, _can’t_ go into detail. “Who is very mean and dangerous.” Cas still has the scars to prove it. “And I hope to God that you never have to meet her.”

Grace looks like she understands. At least her crying has stopped.

“Is she the reason we moved to Lawrence?” Grace sounds hesitant, as if she’s afraid of the answer. Or maybe she’s afraid of the way Cas will react to the question. Another painful jab pierces Cas’s heart. His eyes turn downcast and he fiddles with Grace’s seat belt strap.

“Yeah, sweetie,” Cas whispers. “She’s the reason we had to move to Lawrence.”

Grace ponders the answer, looking down at her hands in her lap. Cas had helped her earlier this morning to paint her fingernails bright orange.

“But why now, Daddy?”

Cas swallows again, staring at the orange of Grace’s nails. Just like the orange of Meg’s jumpsuit the last time he’d seen her.

“Because she’s out of jail.”

 

**~~*~~*~~*~~*~~**

Outwardly Grace seems to have completely forgotten about their conversation in the car, but Cas knows better. She’s just thinking it over, waiting until later when she can process it more. Cas doesn’t know how she got so smart. Certainly not from him; he’s always just jumped into things without much thought. Just like with his marriage.

But this isn’t the time to think about that. He’s supposed to be enjoying his bike ride with Grace before it gets too cold out for them to do this anymore. They’ve biked through roughly half the park already, and so far neither has shown any signs of fatigue. Somehow, Grace is still full of energy. Seven year olds.

“I bet I can race you to the top of the hill!” Grace shouts, starting to pedal faster. Cas huffs out what would be a laugh if he wasn’t trying to keep a steady flow of his breathing.

“You’re on!”

Cas pedals faster, but not to his fullest ability. He has full intentions to let Grace win, but even his pride can’t be bruised too much. They’re neck to neck almost the entire way, until Grace puts on a burst of speed and races ahead of him and breaches the summit of the hill. Cas is just about to reach her when he notices that she’s stopped.

“Grace?”

Cas reaches her and suddenly he knows exactly why she stopped pedaling. Not fifty feet away is a mass hoard of at least one hundred people dressed as if they’re from the medieval age. What the hell are they doing?

“Daddy, why are they playing dress up in the park?”

Cas shrugs, asking himself the same question.

“I don’t know, sweetie.”

“Can we go play with them?” Grace asks.

“Why not,” Cas murmurs. He doubts that the mass of people will be upset with the two of them wondering what they’re doing. “Let’s go check it out.”

Grace smiles up at him before she starts pedaling again, flying down the hill like the Angel she is. Cas grins and follows.

The closer they get, the more Cas realizes just how intense this thing must be. There’s dozens of tents all set up – and is that a stock?

“Hey, Grace,” Cas reaches out a hand and rests it on Grace’s shoulder. “Let’s go rest our bikes by that tree and then go see what’s up. Sound good?”

“Sounds good!”

They do so, and then they make their way into the medieval camp. They stick out, their weekend clothes a stark contrast against the careful costumes of everyone around them. A few people look at them weirdly, but other than that, they’re just visitors in this strange land.

“What is this place, Daddy?” Grace asks.

“I don’t know, baby.”

Cas looks around, trying to find a familiar face. But they’ve only been in Lawrence a few weeks, they don’t know many people. He doesn’t see anyone he recognizes, so they keep wandering around.

Eventually, they come to a group of people formed in a circle. Cas pushes through the cracks of people and brings Grace along. In the middle of the circle is two people sword fighting. From the looks of it, it’s a man and a woman. Cas watches in rapture as the fire headed lady takes down the built man. She knows what she’s doing.

The red head takes off her helmet, letting her locks flow free. From beside him, Grace gasps. Concerned, Cas looks down, ready to take care of any injury that might have occurred, but instead he finds that Grace is staring at the red headed lady.

“Daddy, that’s Mrs. Bradbury!”

The red head must have heard Grace, because her heads whips around to stare at them. _Bradbury, how does Cas know that name?_ The lady – Mrs. Bradbury – squints at them before a look of recognition sets in her eyes.

Since the fight is over, most of the circle of people have started to leave. Mrs. Bradbury walks over to them and waves at Grace.

“Hey, Grace, hey, Grace’s dad,” Mrs. Bradbury smiles. “Your teacher’s here, too.”

Oh! Bradbury; she’s the other second grade teacher at Lawrence Elementary. How could Cas have forgotten?

“Dean’s here?”

Cas immediately regrets asking the question. Mrs. Bradbury’s eyes pop slightly in surprise before a knowing smile charms her lips.

“One moment,” she tells him before turning around and shouting, “Handmaiden!”

Cas watches as Dean comes out of nowhere and bows before Mrs. Bradbury. Holy shit, what is he wearing? Cas instantly feels way too hot in his jacket. Dean’s dressed in a brown felt-like shirt and light brown pants that hug every curve, chain mail across his shoulders and upper chest, a largely studded dark brown belt, and forearm guards. Medieval wear was never one of Cas’s kinks before, but he may just be changing his mind about that.

Dean leans up from his bow and notices Cas and Grace for the first time. For a moment his eyes are huge, staring at Cas. Shit, he’s probably disgusted by how sweaty and gross Cas must be after biking for a while. Cas internally groans, wishing he was anywhere but here.

Thankfully, Dean’s gaze flicks over to Grace and a wide smile stretches across his lips.

“What brings Miss Grace to Moondoor?” Dean asks.

Grace giggles, clutching to Cas’s leg as she does when she’s uncertain.

“Why are you dressed all funny?” Grace asks in lieu of answering.

“Look around you, Grace,” Dean tells her. “You’re the one who’s dressed weirdly.”

Grace scrunches up her face, clinging to Cas’s leg more tightly. Cas ruffles her hair, watching as she looks around and fully takes in what everyone’s wearing – especially Dean. Dean, who’s failing at subtly staring at Cas. There’s a slight tension in the air, between Dean’s widened eyes and Cas’s blush to Grace’s peculiar head tilt to Mrs. Bradbury’s smirk.

“Handmaiden,” Mrs. Bradbury says.

Dean looks over, bowing again. “Yes, my Queen.”

Queen! Mrs. Bradbury is Dean’s queen, not because they’re dating, but because of this…whatever this is! Cas chokes on a laugh, swallowing it down before it becomes obvious.

But then again, what if she still is his girlfriend? Maybe she just goes by Mrs. so that no creepy dads try to get with her. Cas pouts without meaning to.

“Inform our guests on what’s occurring here in the park today and then invite them to our mid-day lunch while I prepare for my next duel.”

“Yes, Queen Charlie.”

Mrs. Bradbury – Charlie – smiles and waves goodbye to Cas and Grace before prancing away to scour for someone else to fight. Her flaming red hair bounces around, signifying her difference to the rest of the group. No wonder she’s Queen.

“You ready to get your LARP on?” Dean asks.

“I’m sorry, what?” Cas asks back.

Dean laughs, a glorious smile lighting his face. Cas feels his heart skip a beat. _What the hell?_

“Live action role play…” Dean rubs the back of his neck and looks down at the grass with a small smile. “It’s kind of a guilty pleasure. Charlie got me into it.”

“And you’re her handmaiden?” Grace asks.

“A loyal handmaiden, at that,” Dean tells her, squatting down so they’re level. Cas doesn’t know why, but it warms his heart every time he sees Dean do that. It’s just so goddamn cute.

“Can we play, too?” Grace asks.

Dean laughs, not unkindly.

“We don’t have costumes, sweetie,” Cas tells her, taking her hand in his.

“That’s alright,” Dean says. “You can still hang around.”

Cas tilts his head. He may have no idea what LARPing is, but he doesn’t think that he and Grace are supposed to be randomly jumping in.

“You’re sure this is okay?” Cas asks.

Dean nods, a soft smile adorning his lips. Cas could kiss him, he looks so beautiful with the sunlight illuminating him from behind. The urge to lean in and wrap his arms around the other man is so strong that it physically hurts him to remain where he is.

What is going on? Cas can’t have a crush – oh god, what is he, fourteen years old? – on Grace’s teacher. It’s inappropriate, wrong, and the timing is all off. It’s just not plausible.

“Positive.”

Grace looks up at Cas, a giddy excitement radiating from her. “Daddy, you can help Mr. Winchester be the ‘andmaiden!”

A slight blush flushes across Cas’s cheeks, but he’s able to keep it in check. Grace’s outburst seems to have a similar effect on Dean.

“I don’t know,” Cas says.

“What’s wrong, Cas?” Dean asks, cocking his head to the side with a flash of a cocky smile. “Don’t want to be Charlie’s handmaiden with me?”

Before Cas has the chance to answer, another man comes up to the group. His hood is flipped up and he carries a clipboard alongside a sword.

“Who are you two?” he snaps. “And why aren’t you in proper dress?”

“Gerry –”

“Boltar the Furious!” the man interrupts Dean. “Address me properly, handmaiden.”

For all the snappy ferocity of the man, he’s nothing but a coward. Dean stands up to his full height, rolling his shoulders back and displaying his toned chest. Cas has to bite his lip to keep from moaning.

“Okay, Boltar,” Dean says, obviously annoyed. “You may have a higher rank than me in Moondoor, but don’t think that carries over to once we’re out of the park.”

Boltar – Gerry? – narrows his eyes. “Nonetheless, _handmaiden_ , these two strangers are not dressed properly.”

Dean doesn’t respond well to being called handmaiden by this man, and Grace must sense this because she tumbles over to him and wraps her arms around his legs. Dean’s taken aback by this, looking down at her with a bemused yet confused expression.

“What’s up, kiddo?” Dean asks.

“I can’t hug you?” Grace fires back.

“Of course you can.”

“Can my daddy hug you?” Grace asks quickly.

“Yeah,” Dean answers just as quickly. A moment passes, Cas holding his breath. _That doesn’t mean anything, it doesn’t mean he has feelings for me. It just means he likes hugs. That’s all._ Dean looks over to him, all cockiness from before evaporated.

“I mean, if that’s okay with your dad.”

Cas dry swallows. “Yeah.”

A small smile unfurls on Dean’s lips and _oh god, they’re perfect._ Cas bites his lip again, almost drawing blood. He breathes out, following Dean and Grace, who’s now holding onto the outside of his pant leg, on a tour of Moondoor. Dean explains everything about LARPing and about Moondoor. Despite himself, Cas starts to get interested.

No wonder Dean got sucked into this whole new world; it’s an escape. Being brought around Moondoor, Cas doesn’t feel worried. He isn’t scared. He isn’t sad. He’s just Cas. And Grace – well, Grace is ecstatic. She keeps running between Dean and Cas, and if Cas didn’t know any better, he’d think she was trying to get them to all walk together holding hands. But that’s just his overactive imagination. Maybe he just needs to get laid. It’s been years. Well, six and a half to be specific.

“And here,” Dean says, pulling Cas out of his reverie. “Is the Queen’s palace.”

Grace makes a ‘wow’ sound, even though it’s just a big tent. She’s really into this. Maybe Cas should take her LARPing for real sometime.

“Daddy, is my palace as cool as Queen Charlie’s?” Grace asks, her words lined with wonder.

Cas smiles, about to answer when Dean interrupts.

“I bet your castle is even cooler.”

“Really?” Grace spins around, staring up at Dean with amazement.

“Really, kiddo.”

Grace gets really excited at that. She starts skipping around and giggling.

“I get to be Queen!” she squeals. She jumps over to Cas, grabbing his hand and lifting it up so that she can twirl underneath. “And you can be prince, Daddy.” She hops over to Dean, doing the same with his hand. “And you can be the other prince.”

“So now your dad and I are your sons?” Dean asks.

“Nope,” Grace grins. Cas must understand what Grace means by that before Dean does because his face flushes violently. Did Grace figure out that he has a crush on Dean? No, she couldn’t have.

“Huh? What –”

“What did I tell you about improper dress!” Boltar shouts, followed by a slightly irritated Charlie.

“Boltar, chill out,” Charlie tells him.

“But my Queen,” Boltar says. “It isn’t right.”

Charlie rolls her eyes. “Gerry, these two are new here. They just stumbled upon Moondoor, we can’t expect them to already have costumes. Besides, you didn’t question Dorothy when she showed up in jeans and a sweatshirt last month.”

“Well that’s different, Dorothy’s the Queen.”

“Wait,” Cas says. He really shouldn’t be interrupting, but he needs to. “I thought Charlie’s the queen.”

“She is,” Dean says. “Dorothy is Charlie’s wife.”

It all clicks into place. So Charlie digs girls, she’s _married_ , and most importantly, she isn’t dating Dean. It’s like a giant weight’s been lifted off Cas’s shoulders. All the air rushes back into his lungs and oh god, it’s too much.

He doubles over with laughter, tears forming at the corners of his eyes. Holy shit, he hadn’t even realized how jealous he had been of Charlie until now. That means that Dean isn’t dating Charlie! And he doesn’t show any signs of dating anyone else either.

Cas is still laughing when Grace squints up at him, standing directly under his hunched body.

“Daddy, what’s so funny?” Grace asks. “You told me it’s okay for girls to like girls.”

Fuck. Cas hadn’t realized how his outburst might seem. He schools his features, keeping the laughter at bay – at least for now. Charlie looks like she’s trying to hold back anger and Dean looks like he’s been slapped in the face. _Lord, have mercy on my soul._

“It is,” Cas tells her, serious now. “We’ve had talks about sexualities before. Charlie being married to Dorothy is perfectly acceptable.” Charlie visibly relaxes at that. “I’m sorry,” Cas tells her. “I wasn’t laughing at you, I swear.”

Charlie scrunches her nose in thought. “Then why did you laugh?”

Cas’s mind halts. What can he tell her? It’s not like he can say that he was jealous of her because he thought she was dating Dean. And yeah, he can’t admit to having feelings for Dean either.

Thankfully, his silence – and most likely panicked features – must say something for him instead. Or maybe it’s the way his eyes flicker to Dean briefly. Either way, a look of understanding drifts through Charlie’s eyes.

“Oh,” she says, a sly smile spreading across her red lips. “I understand.”

“I don’t,” Dean says.

“Don’t worry about it, handmaiden,” Charlie says, sending a wink Cas’s way. “I’m sure you’ll find out soon enough anyway.”

 

**~~*~~*~~*~~*~~**

 

“Do you think my Daddy will ever marry Mr. Winchester?”

“I dunno.”

“I hope so.”

“Maybe they’ll have a baby!”

“Hannah, they’re both boys, they can’t have a baby,” Grace tells her best friend.

“You never know,” Hannah says, brushing her doll’s hair carefully. “Maybe it could happen.”

“We don’t even know if he loves Mr. Winchester for sure yet,” Grace sighs. It isn’t fair. She’d tried so hard when they were at the park last weekend to get her dad and Mr. Winchester to hold hands or _something_ , but it hadn’t worked. And she’d tried so, so hard. She even tried to tell them that they could both be princes together before they were interrupted by that meanie Boltar.

“Well then let’s find out.”

Grace eyes her friend suspiciously. “How?”

“Hannah rolls her eyes. “We ask him, silly!”

No. “We need a plan, Hannah.”

“Fine, smarty-pants.”

Twenty minutes later, Grace and Hannah are politely knocking on the door to Dad’s room and waiting for him to open it. They each hold their hands in front of them, the picture of innocence.

Dad opens the door, shock barely hidden by his calm expression.

“What’s up, girls?”

“Do you love anyone?” Grace asks.

Dad tilts his head to the side, something Grace got from him. She’s been trying to perfect her angle, but it always seems off.

“Of course,” Dad says. Grace’s heart soars. They’re so close! “I love you, and your Uncle Gabe, and your Auntie Anna.”

Grace huffs. That’s not what she meant and her dad knows it.

“Mr. Novak,” Hannah says. “Do you have a crush on anyone?”

Dad’s eyes widen, a violent blush etching itself across the tops of his cheeks.

“What’s this about, girls?”

Grace wiggles around. Why is her dad being so difficult?

“Daddy, answer the question!”

“I don’t know,” Dad tells them. Grace and Hannah see right through it, though. They share a secret little smile before turning back to Dad.

“You know,” Hannah begins, twirling a strand of her brown hair in between her fingers. “Mr. Winchester said that he has a crush on someone that he wants to be his boyfriend.”

If possible, Dad’s cheeks turn an even brighter shade of red.

“Well, uh,” Dad clears his throat. “That’s very good for him.”

Hannah bounces up, grabbing Dad’s arm before Grace can tell her not to. “Don’t you want to know who it is?”

“Not really,” Dad says. He’s starting to get uncomfortable, Grace can tell. A part of her wants to stop the interrogation and go back to her room to play with dolls but the other part of her, the part of her that wants to see her dad be happy forever, that part makes her stay.

“He gets really focused and happy whenever I mention you!” Grace bursts. It’s as if all her excitement is bubbling out of her.

An array of emotions play across Dad’s face; first shock, then hope, then pure joy, then grief.

“He’s just worried about you, is all, Grace,” Dad says, his voice dejected and sad. That’s not what Grace meant to do. This was supposed to make Daddy happy, not sad! “Why don’t you and Hannah go find a movie to watch or a game to play and I’ll start dinner.”

Grace and Hannah comply, but not happily. That wasn’t supposed to happen, Dad’s supposed to be happy. And then he’s supposed to go find Mr. Winchester and they can kiss and be happy forever. And then they can be a family.

Grace pouts. This was _not_ her plan. She’ll just have to try harder. Hannah sends her a look, a question in her eyes. Grace nods back. This isn’t over yet.


	6. Chapter Six

“ _Is this Castiel Novak?_ ”

“Yes,” Cas says, albeit suspiciously. He just got back from dropping Grace off at Hannah’s house for a sleepover when his phone rang with an unknown number. Supposing that it could possibly the school or his work, Cas picked it up.

“ _This is Jeffery Smith, with the Lemuel Shattuck Hospital Correctional Unit parole office._ ”

Cas stops breathing.

“ _I’m calling because your ex-wife, Meg Masters, hasn’t checked in today as she was supposed to. It’s standard protocol for me to notify you since you were directly involved in the crime that she was incarcerated for._ ”

No. nononononono _NO!_ Cas starts hyperventilating, the hand clutching his phone sweating until the cell drops onto the floor. Cas follows soon after, his knees buckling underneath him.

“ _Mr. Novak! Are you there?_ ”

This can’t be happening. It can’t. This shouldn’t be able to happen, Meg should have gotten her entire life in prison. She should still be trapped inside that prison, trapped until the day she dies. Grace should be safe!

“Fuck,” Cas groans.

“ _Mr. Novak!_ ”

Cas scrambles for his phone, sliding across the hardwood floor and grasping it between shaking fingers. “I’m here.”

“You have to stay calm, Mr. Novak,” Mr. Smith says. “You don’t know for sure if Meg will go looking for you.”

“Of course she will!” Cas shouts. “She’s going to find us!”

“Please calm down –”

Cas slams his thumb onto the ‘end’ button and throws his phone across the room. Later, he’ll be thankful that it landed on the couch, but right now he’s too upset to give a damn. He runs a hand down his face, covering his mouth when a choked sob makes its way out of him. He has to go get Grace from Hannah’s house. Oh god, she’s going to be so scared.

No, she can stay at Hannah’s. It takes at least a day to get from Boston to Lawrence, they have time. Cas will pick her up tomorrow morning and they’ll get a cop to watch their house and he’ll keep the doors locked and they’ll stay inside. Cas will go grocery shopping and stock up on food before he picks her up. They can stay safe inside the house for months if they plan correctly.

Meg won’t get to Grace. Not if Cas is there.

“Fuckfuckfuck.”

Cas needs a drink. Or several. Or maybe an entire liquor store. He needs to get out of here.

The drive to the bar – The Roadhouse, Cas thinks it’s called – is a blur. No tears shed from Cas’s eyes, nothing but the shake of his fingers and the twitch of his eyes could give him away.

He walks into the bar after parking and is immediately attacked by the harsh smell of liquor. He’s never been a big drinker; he’s only been drunk approximately three times before. The first, at his graduation party from high school, the second at Gabe’s wedding, and the third the night after Meg was found guilty. He’s tempted to walk out, but then he remembers the phone call and he slumps down onto the closest stool at the bar.

“What would ya like?” a middle-age woman asks. Cas looks up from where he’s staring at his hands and makes eye contact.

“Something that’ll make me numb.”

A soft expression crosses across the woman’s eyes, but she nods and flashes a smile. “Coming right up.”

Seconds later and three rounds of shots are being placed in front of him. He nods in thanks before knocking back the first one. _Eck_ , he forgot just how much whiskey burns on the way down. Nonetheless, he quickly knocks back the next one.

Maybe if he drinks enough, he’ll forget that Meg even exists. He’ll forget everything she’s done to him, everything she’s done to Grace.

A low growl rumbles through Cas’s throat, and he knocks back the third shot. Before he has the chance to raise a hand for another round, three more are placed in front of him.

“Rough day?” This time it’s a young blonde girl serving him.

“You could say that,” Cas rumbles. Whoa, was that _his_ voice? It sounds even rougher than usual.

“Wanna talk about it?”

Cas takes the next shot, hissing at the burn. “Not particularly.”

The blonde shrugs. “Suit yourself.”

Everything’s a blur after that. He has no idea how many shots he’s doing, only that there’s a collection of shot glasses around him and at least three bottles of beer. The world’s spinning a little bit, but Cas can still remember why he’s here so he _needs_ to keep drinking. He needs to drink until he forgets.

 

**~~*~~*~~*~~*~~**

Dean’s fiddling with the sleeve of his flannel, watching an old rerun of Dr. Sexy M.D. when his phone rings. It’s six pm, not many people who’d be calling him on a Friday night. _Sam_ lights up the screen.

“What’s up, bitch?”

“ _I’m screwed._ ”

“What?” Dean looks at the phone again. Yeah, it’s definitely Sam. “Sammy, what’s going on?”

“ _What’s going on is that I can’t fucking pay for this semester! They changed the price at the last minute._ ”

Fuck. Dean’s been working his ass off at the garage to help pay for Sam’s classes, and for what, Sam to be held back at the last minute?

“They can’t hold you back, not when it’s your last semester.”

Sam huffs over the line. “ _Yeah they can, Dean, and they are._ ”

“This is bullshit!”

“ _I know! But c’mon, man, there’s nothing we can do._ ” Sam sounds so defeated and distraught that it causes a physical burst of pain to thrum through Dean’s chest.

“Maybe if –”

“ _No, Dean,_ ” Sam cuts him off. “ _The payment needs to be in by next Friday and there’s no way we can manage it._ ”

Dean swears. Sam’s been working his ass off to get through college and this is how they repay him? By not letting him graduate? This is bullshit in its most natural form.

“ _Listen, man,_ ” Sam sighs. “ _I just wanted to let you know what’s going on. I’m going out with Jess tonight, probably to drink enough to make me forget about this shit show._ ”

That seems like a pretty good idea.

“ _So I’ll call you later, probably tomorrow afternoon._ ” There’s a muffled “Sam get your ass over here, let’s go!” and the line gets quiet. Dean rubs a hand down his face, frowning at the bit of engine grease that he must not have gotten out from under his nails from the shift he worked after classes. “ _Bye, Dean._ ”

“Make good decisions.”

“ _You know I will._ ”

Dean throws his phone onto the couch, collapsing down next to it. All those hours at Bobby’s gone to waste. Sam fucking deserves that degree – hell, he works harder than half the kids at Stanford. Dean has to do something, he needs to get the money.

But for now, he needs a drink.

 

**~~*~~*~~*~~*~~**

 

Cas knocks back half a bottle of beer, slamming the half empty glass bottle onto the bar.

Damn you, Meg. Damn you to hell. Damn your psychotic fucking brain and your stupid manipulation games and your coercion. Damn you!

“Whoa, buddy.” A face pops into Cas’s view, but it’s too blurry for him to tell who it is. “Might wanna stop shouting.”

Cas may be having trouble seeing, and apparently trouble shouting when he thinks that he’s thinking, but _that voice_. It’s Dean, there’s no way he’s wrong. He’d know that voice anywhere.

“Dean?”

“Yeah, Cas, it’s me.”

In his drunken mind, this turns into the perfect flirting opportunity. Cas leans his elbow onto the bar and drops – literally – his head into his palm, giving Dean the smolder.

“You come here often?” he slurs.

There’s a hearty laugh from the other man. “My aunt owns the place, and I worked here throughout college. So yeah, I come here pretty often.”

“You don’t sound very drunk,” Cas accuses.

“Yet, Cas, I’m not very drunk yet,” Dean puts what might be a bottle to his lips and drinks. Cas’s vision is still pretty hazy. “I have full plans to get very drunk tonight.”

Cas sways closer to Dean, because why not? “You’re welcome to join me.”

Even through his crappy vision, he can see a blush grow across Dean’s cheeks. A wide grin splits his face. _He made Dean blush._ He, Castiel, made that sex god of a man blush. A giggle works its way up Cas’s throat.

“You really are drunk?” Dean asks with a hint of amusement.

Cas releases the laugh, tipping his head back before blinking slowly at Dean. He pouts slightly, just enough to stick his lips out. Again, a flush passes over Dean’s cheeks. _I wonder what it would look like on his other cheeks._

“Extremely.”

Dean smirks, one corner of his lips lifting upwards. Then he calls the bartender over and orders two shots of whiskey.

“Thanks, Ellen,” Dean says.

“Tha’s Ellen?” Cas slurs.

“The one and only,” Ellen says.

Cas takes a long slow pull on his beer before looking up at her like she’s an angel. “You have a very fine looking nephew.”

Ellen throws her head back and lets out a hearty laugh.

“Honey,” she says. “You aren’t the first person to tell me so.”

“’S ‘cause it’s true,” Cas slurs, sending a wink at Dean, who’s blush is returning violently.

Ellen leaves soon after, going over to cater to another patron, leaving Dean and Cas alone once again. Cas slows down on his alcohol intake, instead snacking on the nachos he had earlier ordered.

Dean turns to look at him, a question in his eyes. Cas thanks the lord – the very same one he stopped believing in years ago – that his vision has started to clear slightly.

“Where’s Grace?”

Cas’s heart melts at the mention of his daughter. It must show on his face because Dean smiles. “She’s sleeping over at Hannah’s house. I’m told they’re going to be helping to bake cookies.”

“Hopefully they bring some in for their teacher.”

Cas laughs at that. “I’m shit at baking, so don’t expect a bunch of homemade cupcakes for the entire class on Grace’s birthday. Those kids are getting pre-made baked goods or nothing at all.”

“A lot of parents do that,” Dean says.

There’s a lull in the conversation, and Cas takes the time to wolf down another few nacho chips. Dean fingers at the paper label on his beer. When did Dean even order a beer?

“So what are you here for?” Dean asks. “And don’t tell me you just felt like going out because clearly something’s up.”

Cas sighs. He’s supposed to be drinking to forget, not to tell his story to his daughter’s hot teacher. But then again, what’s the problem in telling him? Dean’s already offered to be there for him if he wants to talk and well, he supposes that maybe a small part of him wants to tell someone. He can’t tell Grace, and other than Gabriel, no one else knows. It might feel like a weight lifting off his shoulders if he unloads on Dean.

But Dean’s obviously here for a reason, too. Perhaps Dean should go first. Yes, and then Cas will tell him all about Meg and by then, Dean will be so tired from his own story that he might not even pay full attention. It’s an excellent plan.

“You first.”

Dean cocks an eyebrow. “Promise that you’re not trying to avoid telling me your story?”

Cas laughs. “I pinky promise.”

They connect pinky fingers, just for a moment, but Cas still revels in it. Dean takes his hand away too soon, though, and Cas forces himself to pretend he doesn’t want to keep touching the other man.

Dean sighs. “I guess I better start,” he mumbles. “Do you remember me telling you about my brother Sam and how he’s supposed to graduate this semester?”

“’Course.”

“Well it turns out, they upped the fees so now we don’t have enough money to pay for his degree.” Dean grunts, resting his chin on his knuckles. “We’d need a freaking miracle to fix this.”

“I am sorry,” Cas tells him, sounding surprisingly sober even to his own ears. “If there’s anything I can do, just let me know.”

“Maybe I’ll just get another job, something that’ll pay me more, and quickly.” Cas watches as the gears work in Dean’s mind. Dean’s eyes light up, but they’re not joyous. If anything, they’re lined with fear. “I’ll go back to working at Crowley’s place. Just for a little while.”

Cas sits straight up on his stool, looking at Dean with owlish eyes. “You can’t do that.”

Dean seems taken aback. “Why not?”

“Because Crowley’s terrible!”

“What do you mean? I thought you were his book keeper.” There’s a frown on Dean’s face. Cas would do anything in the world if it meant he could kiss the frown away.

“I am?” Cas phrases it more like a question than a statement.

“Then have you seen what’s going on underground? Is that how you know he’s terrible?”

Cas’s eyes widen, they must. “Holy shit, is there really a pimp business going on? Was I correct this whole time?”

“You didn’t know?” Dean asks. Cas can’t believe he was right. Crowley’s always been sketchy and he knew that that girl that was leaving the other morning smelled of too many perfumes and colognes to be normal. “There’s a whole underground nightclub. I worked for him there for a few days before it got to me. I’d done strip clubs before, so I knew that what he was doing wasn’t how things were done.” Dean tilts his head, lost in thought. “Or rather, _he_ got to me, actually. But it’s not important. I’m not working at a dangerous job anymore. Or, well…I’m going to be again, but there’s nothing I can do about it.”

“You shouldn’t do it,” Cas tells him. It almost sounds like begging, but Cas would never admit it.

“Why?”

Cas swallows, deciding he needs to drink more if he’s going to talk. After a few gulps of his beer, he looks back towards Dean. “Because, Deaneth,” he almost starts giggling at his own stupid nickname. Dean doesn’t look amused. “I know how Crowley treats me and I can only guess that it’s worse for his strippers or dancers or whatever he has going on down there.” Cas huffs, taking another pull of his drink. “The man just wants to get in my pants and he can’t handle that I don’t want him there.”

Dean – who Cas hadn’t realized was tilting his stool to only be on two of the legs – slams back down and stares at Cas with wild, determined eyes. “Crowley’s assaulting you?”

“It’s not that bad,” Cas tells him. Really, it’s only a couple times a day that the man tries to get with him. “It’s more revolting and annoying than harmful.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Dean mumbles, mouthing at his third shot of whiskey. “That bastard’s still going to rot in hell for all the things he’s done.”

Cas agrees. From what he knows of Crowley, the guy isn’t a very good man. But once Cas allows his mind to wander, to get away from his annoyance with Crowley, he lingers on one tiny piece of information Dean let slip. Dean was a stripper. A large grins works its way onto Cas’s lips and he has trouble hiding it behind his beer bottle. Dean lifts an eyebrow but doesn’t say anything.

God, Cas can imagine it. The way Dean must practically glide around a pole, how he must keep everyone’s eyes trained on him from the moment he steps on stage until he steps off. Cas imagines it, Dean gyrating along to some random song with a heavy beat – maybe something like classic rock. Dean’s wearing some skimpy costume, maybe meant to look like a firefighter with a hat and everything. Or maybe Dean’s dressed as a cowboy with a lasso. Cas starts salivating before he has the chance to stop himself.

“Whoa, hey Cas,” Dean puts a hand on Cas’s shoulder and he practically melts. “You okay? Not going to throw up?”

Cas shakes his head, coming back to reality. “I’m fine, Dean.”

“Good, because you still have to tell me your story.”

He might as well get it over with.

“This…might take a while.”

Dean grins. “I’ve got all night.”

Cas signals for another round of shots and knocks them back before beginning his story. It’s been a long time since he’s told it, years actually. Dean’s patient, he waits until Cas is ready instead of pushing him for answers.

“I guess I should start from the beginning,” Cas says, closing his eyes. “I was twenty three when I met Meg. We both had just graduated from Boston University, myself for accounting and her for business management. I was naïve, and unfortunately, I fell in love. To me, she was the most beautiful person in the whole world. I couldn’t imagine loving anyone else. Trust me, I know it sounds like bullshit now.”

“It doesn’t sound like bullshit, Cas,” Dean tells him. “You were young.”

“I was young and stupid,” Cas amends, sighing. “At twenty six, after three years of dating, I proposed. Everyone around me told me that it was a bad idea, that she was bad for me, but I didn’t believe them. I didn’t _want_ to believe them. Meg hung the moon and the stars.

“We got married, and that night we made love. It wasn’t the first time, not by a long shot, but it was our first time without any form of contraception. I thought we were trying for a baby.”

Cas quiets for a moment, gathering his thoughts. He knows what’s coming soon.

“We moved into an apartment together in the heart of Boston, and I started a job at a local bank. Quickly, though, I started to notice a change in Meg. She wasn’t as bright and happy anymore, but instead was always moody, and more than once I’d leave the next day covering bruises.”

Dean interrupts then. “Did she hurt you?”

“Yeah,” Cas breathes. “I refused to hit her back. It wasn’t too bad, or at least that’s what I told myself. She’d usually return to the Meg I had married within a few days of her mood swings and then everything was fine again. Then she got pregnant.”

“Grace?” Dean asks.

“Grace,” Cas confirms. “Things got worse after that. She told me she wanted the baby, but then of course later she claimed that I had forced her to have a child. I’d always wanted kids, but I never would have forced her to do it. That’s not who I am. The beating became a daily thing, but she always made sure to keep it hidden, as did I.”

Cas takes another break, knocking back yet another shot and then signaling for another round. He’s far too sober for this story.

“When Meg gave birth, she didn’t even want to look at Grace. She was just glad that the ‘parasite,’” Cas uses finger quotes. “Was out of her. Things got a little better after a few months, once her hormones settled once more and Grace calmed down. There was a lull in our lives, and I let myself believe that things could be peaceful.”

Tears sting at the backs of Cas’s eyes, knowing what comes next, but he rubs at his eyelids until they go away. He needs to finish the story.

“When Grace was almost one, I … I came home from work early one day and…and… Meg, she … she,” Cas chokes on a sob, burying his face in his hands. “I can’t,” Cas wails. “I’m sorry, I c-can’t.” Cas’s voice cracks as he sobs. Dammit, he didn’t want to start crying, especially not in front of Dean. But god, he can’t do this. He can’t talk about what happened. He thought he could, but he can’t. He simply can’t revisit that memory.

Sometime later, once his sobs start to recede, he gathers enough courage to speak again. When Cas opens his eyes, although he doesn’t remember closing them again, he’s met with a pale faced Dean Winchester. To be more specific, Dean looks like he’s going to hurl.

“Dean, are you alright?” Cas asks, rubbing tears from his eyes.

Dean clears his throat and when he speaks, his voice is deep and throaty, as if he’s holding his own emotions back. “You can skip that part, but continue the story, Cas.” Dean licks his lips, swallowing heavily. “If you can.”

Cas sniffles before biting at his nails, an old habit from his youth. He starts again, albeit much more cautious and raw this time.

“I called the cops and Meg was arrested. Two months later and she was sentenced to fifteen years in prison. We divorced, and I got sole custody over Grace. I got a restraining order for both myself and for Grace against Meg. Legally, she isn’t allowed within 5 miles of either of us.”

“How’d you swing that?” Dean asks. His voice is still hoarse.

Cas blushes despite his overflowing emotions. “I can be quite persuasive when I’m angry.” There’s another pause and Cas lets his eyelids flutter shut once more. “Anyway, two months ago, Meg was released from jail for good behavior. Which is total bullshit, by the way, because I knew that woman for years. She’s as good an actress as anyone.

“As soon as I found out, I knew that we weren’t safe anymore. You should have seen the look in Meg’s eyes that night. She told me that Grace ruined our marriage, that I didn’t love her as much as I should because Grace was in the picture. Dean,” Cas opens his eyes and sets his hands over Dean’s, demanding his full and complete attention. “You have to believe me, she hates Grace. She’s insane. I know her, she’ll stop at nothing.”

“I…I believe you, Cas.”

Cas sighs, drawing his hands back. “Good,” he murmurs to himself. “Good.”

“But, uh, but that doesn’t explain why you’re here getting drunk _today._ ”

A spike of fear bursts through Cas. How could he have forgotten?

“I got a call from Meg’s parole officer. She’s…she’s supposed to check in with him every day for four months and then it becomes weekly and then monthly.” Cas swallows back bile. “She didn’t check in today.”

“Shit,” Dean curses under his breath.

“Before we moved to Lawrence, her parole officer had told me that Meg was asking questions about Grace and me. I – I can’t believe that she isn’t going to try and find us.”

They’re both silent then, Cas lost in thought. The only good thing that’s come from knowing Meg is Grace. Honestly, that’s it.

“That’s why you moved to Lawrence? To get Grace away from Meg?” Dean asks.

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry, man.”

Cas looks up from where he had been looking down at his hands and sees the pure honesty sketched through Dean’s eyes. He swims in it, blinking back his own emotions at the onslaught that come from Dean. Not for the first time, he’s overwhelmed by how _good_ Dean is, how much he cares about other people. He’s barely known Dean for two months and already he feels as if he could put his life in Dean’s hands.

“Thank you.” It doesn’t feel like enough. It’ll never _be_ enough, but for now, it’s all he can say.

Dean nods once before looking down again. Cas probably told him too much – it’s a lot to take in. A warmth surrounds Cas’s heart. Dean cares. He really cares. Where he would have reached for his beer, he now reaches for Dean’s hand. Dean looks up when Cas entwines his fingers through Dean’s, but he doesn’t pull his hand away. Their eyes lock, a mutual understanding passing between them.

Anything could happen from this point. Cas could take his hand back, he could continue drinking, and he could pass out on the floor. He could find some no-name person and go home with them. He could stay with Dean. Maybe, he could even go home with Dean. Cas isn’t denying the feelings he has for the other man. Not anymore.

Dean must see something shift in Cas’s eyes because he squeezes Cas’s hand lightly and tilts his head to the side.

“Do you wanna get out of here?”

Cas beams, hopping off of his stool. “I’d like nothing more.”


	7. Chapter Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry that this chapter is a few days late, but to make up for it, it's an extra long chapter! :) This weekend is actually quite busy for me, so I can't make any promises for a weekly update, but I'll do my best.

Dean’s eyes flick sideways to where Cas is slumped over in the passenger seat. The other man passed out drunk not even two minutes after they’d left the bar. A huff of what would be laughter if there wasn’t someone sleeping in the car is breathed through Dean’s lips as he puts the car into park in his driveway. Having not drunk nearly as much as Cas had, Dean’s a lot more coherent. Cas can stomach his liquor, Dean will give him that, but the man’s a lightweight nonetheless.

“Hey, Cas,” Dean whispers. He gently shakes Cas’s arm, which causes said man to nudge his head farther down the passenger side window. “Gotta wake up now, buddy.”

“Nghg,” Cas groans.

A smile lifts Dean’s features. A sleepy Castiel Novak is an adorable sight.

“C’mon, Cas, we’re at my house.”

Cas rolls around, shuffling into what looks like a ball. He mutters something, but it’s too incoherent.

“Come again?”

Cas mutters some more, but Dean’s pretty sure he hears a stubborn request to be carried. He does actually laugh at that. He can’t imagine how many times Cas has had to carry Grace into the house whenever she’s fallen asleep in the car. If only Grace could see it now. Wait, scratch that, Grace shouldn’t have to see her dad flat out drunk. Dean knows full well what it can do to a kid. But Cas isn’t John Winchester; he isn’t an alcoholic.

“You want me to carry you?” Dean asks. There’s a grunt from Cas and something that sounds like a yes. Dean laughs again before getting out of the car and opening Cas’s door. Thankfully the man was smart enough to buckle his seat belt because he would have fallen out if not.

“Alright sleepypants,” Dean leans down and scoops Cas into his arms after unbuckling him. “I’ll carry you into the house.”

Cas snuggles his head into the crook of Dean’s shoulder and it takes all his effort not to drop the man right onto the ground. _Cas just snuggled up to him._ Castiel Novak snuggles when he’s a sleepy drunk. Dean smiles at that, of course Cas would.

They make it to the door before Dean’s arms start to get tired. He hasn’t been able to work out as much in the past few years as he would have liked. Fortunately, the couch isn’t too far from the front door, and Cas is safely lowered onto the cushions without Dean’s arms giving out.

Cas protests when Dean puts him down, unconsciously clutching at the collar of Dean’s shirt to keep him close. Dean stops breathing. Cas isn’t moving, he’s just holding Dean there; holding Dean close.

But then Cas’s breathing starts to change, it becomes deeper, and his grip on Dean’s shirt loosens. His entire face relaxes and his lips part just slightly. Cas is asleep.

“Good night, Cas,” Dean murmurs, softly maneuvering himself away from the sleeping man. He heads for the kitchen and pours himself a final shot of whiskey before he, too goes to sleep. It burns on the way down, but after years of drinking the hard stuff, he barely notices anymore. So maybe when Cas propositioned him at the bar, this wasn’t what he was expecting, but Dean can respect Cas’s need for sleep. He’s perfectly okay with housing a drunk Cas, doesn’t matter if he fell asleep before anything fun could happen. Cas is safe, that’s what matters.

Dean stops beside Cas, looking down at the fractured man. Cas isn’t broken – he’s too resilient. But he isn’t whole, either. When Cas told him the story about Meg, Dean didn’t even know what to do. _Still_ doesn’t know what to do. Maybe he doesn’t know exactly what Meg did, but she did something to Grace, and whatever that was, Cas is still suffering from it. Dean frowns. If Cas is holding in this much emotion, so much that he went to a bar and is now passed out on Dean’s couch, then it’s no wonder that Grace is worried. Dean is, too.

Dean can’t fix all of Cas’s problems, even if he wishes he can. Hell, Dean can barely fix his own problems. But what he can do is try to help. In whatever way he can, he’ll help. Even if that starts with getting a spare blanket and spreading it over Cas. Dean does just that.

After Cas is properly blanketed, having snuggled into the cushions, Dean ventures into his own room, his mind muddled by thoughts from the previous few hours. Inevitably, his thoughts wander back to the phone call that brought him to The Roadhouse in the first place.

Sammy is going to graduate this semester and there’s nothing anybody can do to stop Dean from making it happen. Even if he has to raise Hell himself, Sammy is going to graduate.

 

**~~*~~*~~*~~*~~**

Dean’s abruptly woken by a loud thud coming from somewhere in the house. Having been raised by a marine, he’s instantly on his feet with a baseball bat in his hands. His head aches, a distant reminder of one too many shots, but anything that isn’t intense focus is immediately shut off. Dean’s fingers tighten around the bat, prepping his muscles to swing hard.

He walks silently out of his bedroom, allowing nothing but the moonlight flooding in from the windows to guide him. He’s at the end of the hallway when he hears muttering. There’s definitely someone in his house. Raising the bat just so, he emerges into his living room ready to fight.

However, all the fight leaves him when he realizes that a very grumpy looking Castiel Novak is sprawled on the floor next to the couch. Dean’s eyes scan from the messy bed-head to the blanket tangled around Cas’s limbs and finally to the hand rubbing at what must be his sore head.

Dean’s memories of the night before flash back quickly – how Cas had fallen asleep on the couch after drinking _way_ too much. Cas must have rolled around in his sleep and fallen off the couch. The sight is so absurd that Dean can’t keep from bending over and laughing, pounding head ache be damned.

“Are you alright?” Dean manages to stammer out. He leans the baseball bat against the wall and stretches his hand out for Cas to take. Cas rubs blearily at his eyes for a moment before he seems to realize that Dean’s even in the room, never mind that he was just asked a question.

“Wha?” Cas asks, blinking up at Dean. The man looks highly confused, as if he doesn’t remember anything. _He probably doesn’t_ , Dean realizes. “Dean?”

“Yeah, buddy,” Dean says. Cas isn’t taking his hand, so Dean sits down on the floor next to him. “D’you remember anything?”

Cas tilts his head in a way Dean’s come accustomed to seeing Grace do much of the time in class. He opens his mouth and then closes it, then he repeats the action twice. Dean cocks his own head, waiting for Cas to say something. But instead, the man leans over and promptly throws up all over Dean’s lap.

For a moment, neither of them moves. Dean’s stock still, barely breathing as Cas heaves a second burst of liquid. Hesitantly, Dean rests his hand in Cas’s hair, rubbing small soothing circles. _Holy shit, Cas just threw up on me. Cas is still throwing up on me. What do I do? Oh god I did not sign up for this._

“I- I’m so –” Cas cuts off as another bout of barf is pushed up from his stomach. This time he manages to move away from Dean’s lap and throws up onto the rug. “I’m so sorry!”

“It’s okay.” Dean’s quick to reassure Cas when he hears the tears catching in Cas’s throat. Still though, little shakes and hiccups keep coming from Cas where he’s hunched over. Dean rubs a hand on his back soothingly. “It’ll be okay. It’s just a little throw up, I can clean it up.”

Cas shrugs, heaving out a long sigh.

“I’m serious, man,” Dean reassures. “It’s just a little throw up. Now let’s go get you to the toilet in case your gut decides that it’s still out for revenge.”

The corners of Cas’s lips tilt upward a little at that, and Dean counts that as a win. Even as disgusting as he is – covered in Cas’s puke – he can’t help but feel content that Cas is here. It’s a bad idea for him to get entangled with a student’s father, and he knows it, but right now he doesn’t want to think about it like that. He wants to be Dean and he wants Cas to be Cas. Nothing else; no rules, no barriers.

“I _am_ terribly sorry,” Cas says. He looks down at Dean’s lap guiltily. “I don’t normally drink.”

Dean laughs. “I can tell.”

Cas scowls, but it’s almost immediately wiped off his face when Dean offers his hand once more to help pull Cas off the floor. Unfortunately, Dean’s kind of dripping puke, which is completely disgusting in its own matter, so he’s going to need to get cleaned up, too.

Dean leads them to the bathroom, dimming the light so as to not make their head aches worse. He flips up the toilet lid and puts a towel down on the floor in front of it for Cas to kneel on. Cas thanks him and Dean nods in recognition.

“I’m gonna go get changed into something else that’s not covered in alcoholic puke,” Dean tells Cas. “I’ll be back.”

Cas nods and Dean takes that as his okay to leave. In his room, he peels off the disgusting articles of clothing only to find that somehow there’s still liquid coating his thighs. Dean might throw up, himself.

“Fuck.” He can’t just wipe it off with a towel, though. He needs to deep scrub that shit off. _He needs to take a shower._ At this point, he doesn’t care if Cas will be in the bathroom, too. He just wants this stuff off of him. Throwing on a pair of pajama pants from his dirty laundry hamper, he heads back to the bathroom.

He opens the door to find that Cas is in the exact same spot as he left him in, hunched over the toilet with his arms on either side.

“Doing alright, bud?”

Cas looks up, a mock glare fierce in his eyes.

“No,” he spits without conviction.

“Yeah, alcohol can do that to you.” Dean leans against the wall and watches Cas for a moment. It doesn’t really look like he’s going to hurl again, but he could never know. “Hey, is it okay if I hop in the shower? I’m not the biggest fan of being covered in puke.”

Cas nods eagerly, his eyes staying for too long on Dean’s body. Dean swallows harshly, nodding back.

“Cool, I’m uh, I’m just going to take a quick shower then.”

“You do that.”

Dean smirks. “Did you just sass me?”

It’s Cas’s turn to smirk this time. “You’ll find I’m capable of more than you previously thought, Mr. Winchester.”

Dean’s distantly aware of his jaw falling open, but he’s too wired to even realize how ridiculous he must look. Is Cas flirting with him? Is that what he’s trying to do?

“I’m, uh…You just keep leaning over the toilet bowl,” Dean stammers out, grabbing a towel out of his closet and putting it on the hook just outside of the shower. “I’ll make sure to be quick.”

He swears he hears Cas murmur something under his breath, but he resolutely has no desire to discover what it is. He turns the water onto warm and starts to strip, obsessively checking to make sure Cas isn’t looking. Ten minutes ago he’d have been hoping that Cas is looking, but now it isn’t the same. Cas may not be drunk anymore, and he may be much more lucid, but he’s just been throwing up. There’s no way the man is up for anything other than sleep. If he is, then so be it, but the odds are slim.

He gets into the shower, closing the curtain behind him, and immediately relaxes under the warm spray of water. His head ache subsides somewhat, and his muscles relax. It’s no wonder so many chicks dig baths. Dean’s got to do that one of these days. Preferably soon.

Dean revels in the warm glide of the water over his skin and hair. Seriously, baths are probably a good idea that he needs to put a lot of thought into soon. It’s just as he’s grabbing the bar of soap off of a shelf that he hears a noise. He cocks his head to the side.

“Cas?”

His answer comes in the form of the curtain being pulled back to reveal a _very_ naked Castiel. Out of all possible reactions – screaming, covering himself, yelling at Cas, etc. – Dean’s brain instead chooses to cease all functions. He stares. A lot. For Cas’s part, he doesn’t move either. He has no idea how long they’re standing there, both frozen, but eventually he starts to register what he’s staring at.

Cas is fit, like, really fit, more than Dean had thought, and _he has a tattoo_. Dean has no idea what it is, a bunch of squiggly lines that probably mean something in some language, but he’s still caught up on the fact that this man has a tattoo. Cas never seemed like the type to get inked. Apparently not.

Oh, and then there’s the fact that Cas is sporting a semi. No big deal.

Said man pulls the curtain back another few inches and then all of a sudden he’s stepping into the shower and pulling the curtain shut behind him. Dean knows he should be telling Cas to get out, he knows that if anyone ever finds out about this, then he’ll lose his job for sure, but his brain filters those thoughts out. Because right here, in front of him, is the man that he’s been crushing on for weeks, and that man is literally walking up to Dean naked. Still, he needs to make sure Cas knows what he’s doing.

“Cas? What are you doing?”

Cas tilts his head and it’s so goddamn adorable that Dean just can’t take it. Without thinking about it, he reaches out a hand and rests it against Cas’s cheek. Cas smiles, leaning into the touch.

“I think it’s quite clear what my intentions are, Dean.”

Dean swallows, Cas’s voice is just so deep and rumbly and holy shit, what is Cas doing? Dean watches as Cas leans down, as provocatively as possible, and picks up the bar of soap that Dean hadn’t even realized he’d dropped.

“You’re a dirty boy, Dean.”

It doesn’t matter that Cas is using his really deep voice. It doesn’t matter if he’s sexy as hell. It doesn’t matter that Dean’s supposed to get turned on beyond belief at that statement. None of it matters because the line is so cheesy and so unexpected from Cas that Dean cracks up laughing. He has to grab Cas’s shoulder to keep from falling over, he’s laughing so hard.

The tops of Cas’s ears are pink and there’s a furious blush on his face. Dean feels guilty for laughing, but he can’t stop, even _if_ it’s starting to bring back his head ache.

“Did I…Did I say something wrong?” Cas asks. His voice is so innocent and light compared to what it was a moment ago.

“Nah, man,” Dean grins, choking off his own fits of laughter. He needs to keep it together. He’s obviously embarrassing Cas, and if he wants this to go any further then he needs to keep them both comfortable. “I just wasn’t expecting that line ‘s all.”

“Oh.” Cas frowns for a moment before he shrugs and rolls his shoulders back. When his eyes lock with Dean’s again they’re ignited and bright. Cas is back in town.

“Nonetheless, Dean, you still need to be cleaned.” Cas snakes his fingertips down Dean’s arm until he reaches his hip, where he then precedes to trail his fingers over Dean’s upper thigh. “We can’t have you running around covered in my fluids, can we?”

Dean moans involuntarily at that. God dammit, Cas hasn’t even really touched him and already he can make Dean moan.

“Answer the question, Dean.”

“No,” Dean stammers. “We can’t.” What the hell? Dean’s supposed to be smooth. He’s a pro at getting laid. Why does being with Cas make him forget everything he’s ever learned?

Cas grins, absolutely radiant. “That’s what I thought.” He rubs the soap between his hands and then he kneels in front of Dean and begins to lather his thighs. Even though the water has already gotten all the actual barf off of him, there’s still a residual stickiness. Cas works every knot and crevice of Dean’s right thigh before turning and beginning again with the left one.

“You aren’t going to throw up again, are you?” Dean asks.

Cas rolls his eyes. “No, I’m not.”

He goes much slower this time, really kneading his fingers into Dean’s muscles and scrubbing in the soap. When he’s finished, he motions for Dean to step back under the spray to rinse away the soap. Dean does as he’s told on autopilot. So far, their eyes haven’t disconnected since Cas began scrubbing. Seeing Cas kneeling in front of Dean…well, it’s a lot more erotic than Dean could have ever imagined. His arousal is impossible to miss, but Cas hasn’t even so much as ghosted a breath near his cock.

It’s frustrating as hell, seeing it right in front of him but not being able to have it. Cas is doing this on purpose, he’s trying to make Dean beg for it. Two can play at that game.

He starts slowly – teasingly, as his instructors had taught him – gyrating his hips. Cas’s eyes widen, transfixed on Dean’s motions. Neither of them move closer, the only movement between them being Dean’s hips, which have begun to gyrate faster. Dean bites his lip, leaning his head back into the spray of the water and lets out a small moan. This does it.

“Dean,” Cas growls, grabbing Dean by the hips and pulling him forward. Cas is standing before Dean even has time to blink, crashing their mouths together in a deep kiss. Their hands wrap around each other, groping and feeling the bodies that they’ve been skirting around for weeks. Their movements may be frenzied, but their lips are calm and passionate.

In this moment, Dean wants to know everything about Cas. He wants to take his wounds and heal them, erase his past and create new memories, take his spirit and reclaim it, kiss his lips and reclaim _him_ , and in turn offer everything he has for this man. He wants Cas, in every way possible. In mind, in body, and in soul.

Cas tastes like mint.

Dean pulls back only enough to speak. “Did you steal my mouthwash?”

He can feel Cas’s responding grin against his lips. “Didn’t wanna kiss you tasting like puke.”

Dean has no protests so he shuts up, deciding to quiet himself by kissing Cas more. Cas responds in kind, his fingers trailing up Dean’s neck and through his hair. They moan into each other’s mouths at the sheer amount of sensations. Their skin slides against each other with the water that glistens off of them, fusing their bodies into one slick being.

Somehow Dean gets pushed against the shower wall, Cas surrounding him on all sides. Without thinking, he lifts his legs and wraps them around Cas’s hips. He’s lucky that Cas is strong enough to hold him or else they’d both be on the floor right now. And what boner kill that would be.

God, they could have been doing this for weeks. Why did Dean think they couldn’t? A brief vision of his workplace flashes through his mind, but Dean quickly dismisses it. Not important.

Cas starts to thrust shallowly; slow grinding motions against Dean’s groin. Dean has to pull his lips away from Cas’s to inhale a sharp breath. He can feel it now, just how big Cas is.

“Feel that, Dean?” Cas asks. Holy shit, his voice is even deeper than before. Dean moans because yes, he very much _can_ feel it. “’s because of you.”

“ _Cas._ ”

Cas silences Dean with his lips. Dean’s arms wrap around Cas’s shoulders, tightening when Cas’s grinds pick up speed. It’s almost embarrassing how hard he is. Shit, he feels like a teenager all over again. He’s thirty-two, not sixteen.

“ _Cas,_ ” Dean tries again, gasping the name like a lifeline. “Cas, I am not having shower sex.”

Dean is placed gently onto his feet before he has time to blink. Cas is on the other side of the shower, his hands up in a placating gesture and his chest heaving. Dean pouts, slouching back onto the shower wall. Did he say something wrong?

“I’m sorry,” Cas says quickly, his words rushing out of his mouth. “I thought I was reading the signs correctly but I was wrong and I am so sorry and I promise I’ll leave. I’m safe to drive, I promise. And I can get Grace moved to Mrs. Bradbury’s classroom if you want and –”

Dean’s standing there confused during Cas’s speech, but when he finally figures out what’s going on, he steps the few feet forward and kisses Cas silent.

Cas’s lips are pliant for almost too long, and Dean’s about to pull back, but then thankfully Cas starts to reciprocate. Before Cas can think that Dean doesn’t want him again, Dean trails his hands downwards and cups Cas’s ass. There’s a squeak from the other man, which causes Dean to grin against Cas’s lips.

“I meant I wasn’t having sex in my shower,” Dean clarifies. “But I will gladly have sex with you on my bed.”

Cas’s entire body instantly relaxes, practically falling into Dean. “Thank god. I thought I jumped you.”

“You kinda did.”

Cas frowns, a guilty expression causing him to look down.

“But I wanted it.”

“Are you sure?” Cas asks. There’s a hint of hope in his eyes.

Dean leans in to whisper into Cas’s ear. He lowers his voice so that it’s dripping seduction. “Why else would I be begging for you to fuck me?”

Dean expects a reaction from his words, maybe a gasp, or a slap to the ass. What he isn’t expecting is for Cas to flat out growl. Dean’s being corralled by Cas’s body again, and within seconds their lips are sealed.

“How do you turn your shower off?” Cas asks after blindly messing with the levers.

Dean laughs, kneading Cas’s ass. “Can’t figure it out?”

Cas huffs. “Everyone’s shower is different, Dean.”

Stifling another laugh, Dean turns around in Cas’s embrace, purposely grazing his ass against Cas’s groin on his way, and shuts off the water.

Dean shoots Cas a “come and get me” look before throwing back the curtain and sprinting nude across the house until he reaches his bedroom. He nearly slips four times, but somehow he makes it. He’s just about to close his door behind him so that it’ll be harder for Cas to find him – really to give Dean more time to lay himself across the mattress in the most pleasing way possible – when Cas barrels into him. They both tumble onto Dean’s bed, landing heavily on top of the covers.

“You’re all wet, Cas,” Dean murmurs, sliding his palms up and down Cas’s hips.

Something gleams in Cas’s eyes. Dean isn’t sure what it is, exactly, but decides he likes it. He wants to make Cas’s eyes gleam like that as much as he can. “So are you.”

Dean wiggles under Cas’s body. “Yeah, but I’m sure we can make some steam.”

Cas throws his head back and laughs. “Jesus, Dean, and you thought my dirty talk was bad.”

Dean blushes. Yeah, that _was_ a pretty bad line. Nonetheless, Dean wants to get to it. He gathers the most seductive smolder he has and aims all of it at Cas.

“Castiel Novak, you have been taunting me with that ass for over a month,” Dean says sternly. Or at least he tries to. It honestly would be much more successful if Cas isn’t snaking his hands down Dean’s torso and resting them below his belly button.

“I’ve been taunting you?” Cas asks. He molds his face to look completely innocent, but his eyes give him away – the way they shine with mirth. To emphasize his non-existent point, Cas glides his hands further down, framing Dean’s cock but not touching it. “I don’t know, Dean. You looked pretty fucking hot in that LARPing costume.”

Dean smirks. Thanks to many other LARPers, he’s well aware of his appearance while in that costume.

“I’d say I’m sorry,” Dean says, subtly tilting his hips closer to one of Cas’s hands. “But I’m really not.”

Cas grins, almost feral, and Dean only has one second to slit his eyes in suspicion before Cas is moving down the bed and his cock is suddenly enveloped in wet heat. Dean’s eyes snap shut instantly. He can’t watch; he can’t because he knows if he does, then he’ll shoot his load like a horny teenager.

Cas pulls back and swirls his tongue around the head of Dean’s cock. Dean squeezes his eyes and grips the duvet to keep from moaning. Cas notices and pulls off completely.

“No, Dean,” Cas’s voice almost sounds needy. “Let me hear you.”

And then Cas goes right back down and licks a long stripe from base to tip. Dean can’t help it this time, he lets loose. Sammy can probably hear him moaning all the way in California. _Ew, no, don’t think about Sammy during sex!_

Cas flattens a palm on Dean’s stomach, slowly kneading the flesh. Dean won’t admit it in a million years, but he kind of really likes it. With his eyes still squeezed shut, his only sensation is touch. He twists one of his hands in Cas’s hair, making the other man moan around his cock and within minutes, Cas brings him to the edge. Dean starts wiggling on the mattress, desperately trying to hold back. It’s only when his breathing becomes heavy and his moans get throatier that Cas has enough mind to pull off.

And fuck, if that sight doesn’t do it for Dean. Cas lips are red and covered in a mix of saliva and pre-cum, his hair’s an unforgiving mess from Dean’s hands clutching at the strands, and his bright blue eyes are almost a thin ring around his blown pupils.

Cas crawls up Dean’s body, dropping kisses from his cock up to his neck. He stops once he can sit on Dean’s lap, perfectly aligning their members. He thrusts against Dean slowly, mouthing at his neck the entire time. Dean’s hands are molded against Cas’s hips, urging him to go faster.

“Do you want me to fuck you, Dean?” Cas’s voice is complete gravel.

“ _Yes_.” It isn’t even a question anymore. Dean is going to get fucked by Cas. Even if the world implodes, they’re going to do it. Nothing short of one or both of them not consenting could stop them now. “Do you want to fuck me?”

Cas gives a particularly sharp thrust and bites down on Dean’s neck. It’s not enough to break skin, but it’s definitely enough to turn Dean into a moaning mess.

“More than anything.”

“Then what are you waiting for?”

Dean wraps his legs around Cas’s back and thrusts upward. If Cas isn’t going to take the lead, then Dean will. He rolls them on the bed so that Dean’s on top of Cas, who’s looking up at him with wide eyes and a slack jaw. Dean rolls his hips, grinding against Cas’s cock with his own. Hands settle on Dean’s hips, steadying him.

“Why’d you make me stop?” Dean’s past caring if he sounds like he’s pouting.

“Because I’m going to come early if you don’t prep _right now_.”

Dean’s off of Cas’s lap and digging around in his bedside table before Cas is even finished speaking. He sits back on Cas, but this time backwards so that Cas can prep him. Dean passes the lube and condom behind him, which Cas takes.

“Want you to do it.” Dean marks the statement with another grind against Cas’s hips.

“You sure, Dean?” Cas asks, his voice low again. “You want my fingers stretching you? Opening you up for my cock?”

Dean moans out, “ _Yes_.”

Cas doesn’t speak after that, instead putting all his attention onto Dean. He carefully bends Dean forward so that he has better access to Dean’s hole. Dean straddles Cas’s chest, presenting his ass for him. Like this, Dean is in the perfect position to flick his tongue out and taste Cas. The other man quivers, but he doesn’t say anything. Instead, a slick finger starts to trace Dean’s hole.

Once Dean’s ready, Cas slips a finger in. Dean hasn’t fingered himself in a while, probably in months, but Cas’s finger is lubed enough that it slips past the ring of muscle easily. Dean moans, and in retaliation, he wraps a hand around Cas’s cock and stretches his lips around the head.

Cas goes still, but then there’s a second finger being pressed against the first one. Dean wiggles his ass back, not quite ready for the intrusion. Cas seems to understand, instead tracing the second digit around Dean’s rim as he circles the first finger to stretch Dean. Eventually, Dean’s ready for the second finger and it slips in almost as easily as the first one. In reward for stretching Dean properly, Dean hums around Cas’s cock.

Finally, Cas moans out load. The sound is unlike anything Dean’s heard before. And that alone makes Dean want to do everything in his power to hear it again.

“Can – can you do three fingers?” Cas’s voice is completely wrecked. Dean revels in it, gliding his hand up and down Cas’s shaft.

“ _Please._ ”

But Cas doesn’t give Dean the third finger yet. He scissors the first two inside Dean, stretching him as much as possible to make room for the third finger, and then eventually Cas’s cock. Dean moans around Cas’s cock. It’s going to be inside of him in the next few minutes.

When Dean’s stretched enough, after he’s pushed back onto Cas’s fingers more times than he can remember, Cas starts to trace the third one around Dean’s rim. The hand wrapped around Cas’s shaft quickens its pace, and Dean starts to suck. That must be what does it for Cas, because suddenly there’s a third finger inside Dean’s hole and he can’t even remember Cas pushing it into him.

“ _Cas,_ ” Dean moans. “C’mon, I’m ready. _Please._ ”

Cas stretches his fingers inside Dean for a few more moments before he pulls them out. Dean feels empty, but then Cas is sitting up and pulling Dean with him. Dean lets himself be manhandled, secretly loving the way Cas is taking charge. He’s repositioned so that he’s facing Cas, sitting on the man’s thighs.

He’s handed the condom, still wrapped, and Dean knows what to do. He tears the wrapping, pinches the top, and then rolls it down Cas’s cock. Cas watches him the entire time, lust blown eyes never leaving Dean’s own. Once the condom’s on, Cas leads Dean to hover over his cock. Dean wants nothing more than to slam himself down onto Cas, but he hasn’t been given permission yet.

“Do you wanna ride me, Dean?”

“Yes. Cas, please.”

“Are you sure?” Cas’s voice turns less sexy and more sensitive. “Because if you aren’t, we can stop now.”

“No, Cas, c’mon.”

Dean’s looking down, staring at what he wants but can’t have yet. He knows he’ll feel pathetic about this later, but he’s too far gone to care right now. Cas lifts his chin so that they can make eye contact. Dean’s surprised by how calm Cas seems.

“Dean, listen because this is important. Are you listening?” Dean nods his head and Cas goes on. “Good. If at any point, any point at all, you want to stop, all you need to do is say stop and it’s over. I promise you I’ll stop and pull out, okay?”

Dean doesn’t say anything, just keeps staring at Cas. There’s no need for him to answer. It’s only when Cas puts a hand on Dean’s hip to steady him that he realizes he’s gyrating his hips.

“Dean,” Cas’s voice is almost commanding now. Dean has no choice but to latch onto every word. “I need to hear you say okay before we can do this.”

“Okay!” Dean rushes to say the word. “Okay, okay, okay. _Cas, please_. I need you, please, Cas.”

Cas’s pupils return to their blown out state and both his hands wrap tightly around Dean’s hips. In the next moment, Dean’s being carefully lowered onto Cas’s cock and in all his life, he has never felt such relief.

“ _Cas,_ ” Dean moans. He feels so full. It’s almost too much. Dean starts squirming way before Cas has the chance to bottom out. He needs Cas to move, it’s like a physical pull, he _needs_ it. “Cas, move.”

“I will,” Cas growls, rolling his hips as if to prove his point. Dean rolls back, moaning loudly as he does so. Dean’s body adjusts quickly, and soon Cas is practically dropping Dean down onto his cock. Dean’s hands are tight on Cas’s shoulders, his legs propped on the mattress next to Cas’s hips. He lifts himself up and then slams back down, setting a brutal pace. He wants to savor this, his time with Cas, but he doesn’t have time. Something inside of him is telling him that he needs to get this done, that it has to be done quickly, or else it won’t happen at all. Maybe Cas will realize he’s too good for Dean, or that he never liked him anyway. Dean’ can’t risk that.

“Hey, Cas?” Dean asks, still bouncing in Cas’s lap.

“Yeah?”

“You aren’t gonna regret this in the morning, right?” Dean can hear the hesitancy in his voice, he can feel just how unsure he is. Cas’s eyes soften from the primal lust they were moments ago to something much more relaxed and affectionate.

“I’ve been sneaking looks at your ass every day when I pick Grace up from school for at least a month.” With Cas’s secret up in the air, Dean can’t help but gawk. He has no problems with Cas doing that, but do other single moms or dads do that too? Does Dean need to get really baggy jeans? “I don’t think I’m gonna regret this in the morning.”

Then in that case, Dean’s not going to hold back. He lifts himself all the way off of Cas’s cock so that only the head is still lined up, and then slams right back down. They both moan loudly, cut off when Dean does it again. Cas’s knuckles are white where he’s gripping Dean’s hips, helping him to slam down and take what he wants.

Dean doesn’t know how long they last like that, but eventually Cas’s grip tightens and then Dean’s being manhandled onto his back on the mattress and Cas is above him. He feels empty, not knowing when Cas slipped out, and he whines for it. Dean Winchester will never, not ever, admit to whining during sex. Never.

“Don’t worry, baby, I got you,” Cas purrs the words, sheathing himself inside Dean as he says it. Dean starts to lose any coherency he has left. All he knows is that he’s so close, so fucking close, and Cas is the only one who can bring him over the edge. He needs it, he needs Cas.

And his salvation is brought in the form of his prostate. Cas finds it, making Dean scream into his fist, and then he _just keeps finding it_. Dean’s so close, he can feel the edge getting closer and closer. He’s minutely aware that he’s begging out loud, but he has no idea what he’s saying.

It’s only when Cas hits his prostate and whispers filthily in his ear, “Come for me, Dean,” that Dean’s pushed over the edge. His vision goes white as he comes, and he must be leaving marks on Cas’s skin with the way his nails are dragging across the man’s back.

“ _Dean,_ ” Cas moans over and over again, but Dean can barely hear it. He’s lost in a post orgasmic haze, too far gone for the world at the moment. His breaths come heavily, his chest heaving, but he’s never felt so alive before. Cas collapses on top of Dean, their sweaty limbs intertwining as they try to catch their breath.

“You’re amazing.” At first, Dean’s not sure who’s saying it, but when he sees Cas lift his head up and grin widely, he gets the feeling that it was he who said it.

“You are, too,” Cas says. Then it definitely was Dean who said it.

They lie together for a few more moments before having a dick in his ass gets too uncomfortable and Cas needs to pull out. Cas ties off the condom and throws it over to the side before collapsing back onto Dean. Occasionally, one of them will drop a kiss onto the other; Dean’s onto Cas’s hairline and Cas’s onto Dean’s shoulder and chest area.

It’s as Dean’s eyes are drooping and he can feel the pull of sleep coming for him that Cas presses one last kiss to Dean’s collarbone before sliding off of him.

“C’mon, Dean,” Cas whispers. “Let’s go get cleaned up.”

Dean makes a tired grumbly noise. But he’s so _tired_. The last thing he wants to do right now is get up. Cas smiles down at him.

“I could always bring back a damp towel and wipe you down myself.”

“I like that idea.” Dean smiles to himself when Cas laughs and heads out toward the bathroom. Damn, Dean hasn’t had sex like that since…forever. Again, something foreign and alarming rises up in Dean’s chest, but he’s too blissed out to pay it any attention. He can worry about whatever it is tomorrow. Tonight, he’s going to cuddle the ever living fuck out of Cas.

Cleaning Dean only takes a few minutes, and Cas already got cleaned in the bathroom when he got the towel. As soon as Cas pulls the blankets out from under Dean and drapes them above the both of them, Dean wraps his arms around Cas and pulls him in tight. For a moment, Cas freezes and Dean starts to think that maybe, just maybe, he read the signs wrong and Cas really isn’t a cuddler. Just as he’s about to pull away and apologize, Cas wraps his own arms around Dean and slots a leg between Dean’s.

Dean falls asleep with a smile on his face and Cas’s hair tickling his nose.

 

**~~*~~*~~*~~*~~**

Cas wakes with someone’s arms around his torso and a pounding in his head. His first instinct is to believe that he’s dreaming, but then all the memories come flooding back – the parole officer calling, getting drunk at the bar, throwing up all over Dean, _holy shit_ , having sex with Dean. Cas flips around in what must be Dean’s hold and yup, that is definitely Dean lying beside him. He barely has enough time to choke down a strangled yelp.

An array of emotions battle in Cas’s mind, all trying to win him over. On the one hand, he’s overjoyed that he slept with Dean. He’s been pining after the man for well over a month, and obviously Dean wanted it, too. Cas remembers asking for his explicit consent. But on the other hand, he’s worried. Insanely worried. What he and Dean did, it can’t be exactly legal. Parents just can’t go around sleeping with their children’s teachers. What if Dean gets fired?

“Cas, you’re thinking too much,” Dean mumbles. Cas almost jumps, and he would have if it wasn’t for Dean’s arms around him. “It’s giving me a head ache.”

“Dean, this is important.” How can Dean not be worried? His own goddamn career is at stake.

Green eyes meet Cas’s own. They look so calm, and somehow that helps. The tenseness in Cas’s shoulders dissipates and he relaxes into the mattress facing Dean.

“Do you regret it?” Dean asks.

Cas opens his mouth to speak, but then he closes it. Does he regret it? He feels guilty now, as if the world is going to crash around him, but he knows he’s overreacting. In honesty, no, he doesn’t regret it at all. Even if he never gets to see Dean again, at least he knows now that they feel the same way.

“Not at all.”

Dean smiles and lifts Cas’s hand to place a chaste kiss onto one of his knuckles. “I don’t either, so as long as neither of us has any regrets, then it’ll all be okay.”

“How can you be so sure?” Cas wants to believe him, wants to so badly, but he can’t. He’s been betrayed before.

“Do you trust me?” Dean’s eyes are open and sincere. He’s never betrayed Cas before. Dean’s cared about Grace since day one, and he’s cared about Cas. Dean hasn’t provided any reason not to trust him, only hundreds of reasons _to_ trust him.

“I…I think so.”

“Then it’ll be okay.”

Cas isn’t so sure, and he can see the slight hesitancy in Dean’s words, but he doesn’t say anything. If Dean believes that everything will be okay, then maybe everything _will_ be okay. Cas nods and rests his head on Dean’s shoulder. He closes his eyes against the world and presses a single kiss to Dean’s skin.

They lie quietly for a while, Dean raking his fingers through Cas’s hair and occasionally humming. Cas thinks he might recognize the ballad, but he isn’t sure.

“I really like you,” Dean says randomly. “You know that, right?”

Call it cheesy, but Cas’s heart skips a beat. “I really like you, too, Dean.”

Cas opens his eyes to see Dean smiling down at him, and then they’re kissing. It’s slow and passionate, not dirty like some of their kisses had been the night before. It’s been so long since Cas has kissed someone that he cares about so much, so long since he’s felt like someone that isn’t his family actually cares about him. It’s then that Cas realizes that he won’t be able to give this up. Now that he knows what being with Dean is like, he’ll never be able to go back to the way things were before.

When they pull back, Dean places a peck to Cas’s nose, causing them both to giggle like teenagers.

“What time do you need to pick up Grace?”

Cas’s eyes widen and his heart drops out of his chest. Fuck, he forgot! How could he have forgotten?

“Ten, I’m supposed to get her at ten,” Cas rushes to say. Dean looks over his shoulder at what must be a digital clock.

“It’s only nine right now, you have time.” Dean’s doing his best to keep his voice reassuring, but Cas is still freaking out. How could he forget about the whole Meg thing?

“No, Dean, I don’t. Meg’s gonna find us and she’s going to try and take Grace and she’s not safe and I need to stock up on food and keep my door locked until she’s captured and Grace will stay home with me and we’ll get plenty of water and I’ll call the cops and get a guard and I’ll have to call Gabriel and –”

Dean cuts him off before he can start really hyperventilating. “Whoa, Cas, calm down.” When did Cas stand up and start pacing? “Listen to me, man.” Why are his hands tangled in his hair? “Are you listening?” Dean’s asking him something. But what? “ _Castiel!_ ”

“Huh,” Cas turns and faces Dean, shocked by how scared the other man looks.

“Cas, listen, can you do that?” Cas nods. “Good. Just listen, okay?” Another nod. “Everything is going to be okay. Meg doesn’t know that you’re here and if she does, she needs to get here and find you before she can do anything. The cops already are looking for her because she didn’t check in with her parole officer. There’s no need to stay locked up in your house. You and Grace will both be safe.”

It takes a little while for the words to register, but once they do, they have an instant calming effect on Cas. Dean’s right, of course he is. Meg has no idea where he lives, it will take her a while to find out, and until then, the police will be after her. All the air seems to deflate out of Cas and he’s left feeling empty and cold.

“I’m just…” Cas struggles for the right words. “I’m scared.”

His voice cracks on the last word and then suddenly he’s being wrapped into a hug. No tears come, thank god, but Cas still grips Dean’s waist as if it’s his only lifeline.

“I know, baby, I know, but it’ll be okay. Both of you will be okay, and you’ll make it through this.”

“Baby?” Cas pulls back just enough so that he can look Dean in the eye. A blush creeps its way up Dean’s face, his freckles in stark contrast against the pink of his skin.

“Oh, um,” Dean rubs the back of his neck. “I just thought…um, I can stop if you want.”

Cas kisses him to shut him up. “Never.”

Dean seems visibly relieved. He brings his arm back around Cas and holds him tight against his chest. “I can keep an extra eye on Grace during school if you’d like.”

“Please.”

They hold each other for a few more minutes until Cas’s legs start to get cold.

“Hey, Dean?”

“Yeah?”

“We’re still naked.”

“Oh.”

Cas bursts into laughter, shaking into Dean and causing them to fall back onto the bed. They crawl under the blankets and entwine their limbs – this time with Dean laying his head on Cas’s chest.

“I’m going to have to get dressed soon and get Grace.” Cas says after a long time. Dean sighs, nodding his head and halting his finger where it was tracing the lines of Cas’s tattoo. “We can’t tell anyone about us…I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to stop seeing you.”

“I don’t either,” Dean confirms. A blossom of joy flowers in Cas’s heart, but he tries his best not to let it show too much.

“Then we need to keep this a secret; only tell people that you trust.” Cas knows that Dean will probably tell Sam and most likely also Charlie. Maybe Cas will tell Gabe, but probably not. There’s no reason to drag Gabriel into this. “But I really do need to leave soon.”

“I’ll give you a ride to the bar to pick up your car,” Dean says, pushing the blankets off of them and stretching.

“Thank you.”

The two get in the shower, where surprisingly they prove that they can keep their hands to themselves. Well, mostly. Dean ends up washing Cas’s hair for him and then Cas repays the favor. But that doesn’t count, right? They dry off and hop out of the shower reeking considerably less of sex.

With Dean’s help, Cas finds all his clothes dirty on the bathroom floor. His jeans are passable, but there’s still throw up on his shirt. Dean gives him one of his own, a dark blue button down that fits nicely. Apparently it brings out Cas’s eyes, but he doesn’t really notice it.

He reluctantly gets out of Dean’s ’67 Impala and into his Prius with a final kiss and a promise to see Dean on Monday. Cas just hopes Meg isn’t around by then.

 

**~~*~~*~~*~~*~~**

The second Dad picks her up from Hannah’s house, Grace knows that something is different. Not only does he smell different, but she knows she’s seen that shirt before. And it is _not_ her Dad’s. However, being the intelligent young girl Dad always says she is, she keeps the information to herself.

“How was your sleepover?” Dad asks once they’re in the car.

“Amazing,” Grace sing-songs. “We made chocolate chip cookies but we ate them all and –”

“Wait,” Dad cuts her off. “You and Hannah ate all of them?”

Grace looks out the window so that her dad can’t see the smile on her face. “Hannah’s mom had one.”

“ _Grace,_ ” Dad mock whines. “Did you get any sleep at all?”

Sort of. Grace and Hannah spent most of the night coming up with plans to get Dad and Mr. Winchester together since the magic cheez-its didn’t seem to be as effective as they’d hoped. Grace doesn’t really want to fake an injury, she doesn’t want to make her dad worry more for her than he already does, so they created new plans. Their next plan is Get-Mr.-Winchester-to-Fall-onto-Daddy. They just need to find the perfect time to execute it.

“Of course, Daddy.”

“Good,” Cas smiles at her. “I don’t want you getting sick.”

“Don’t worry about me, Daddy,” Grace says. But even at her age, she knows her words won’t stop him.


	8. Chapter Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not posting last week, I was swamped with school work! I should be able to continue updating more or less weekly still :)

“No fucking way.”

“Daddy!”

“I’m so sorry, Grace.”

“What’s up, short-stack? Miss your Uncle Gabe?”

Grace squeals, barreling through Cas and jumping into Gabriel’s arms. The shorter man catches her and laughs with a grunt. “You’re bigger than I remember. You must’ve grown in the past two months.”

“How are you here?” Cas asks. Because like his greeting, he’s still shocked to see his older brother standing in his doorway.

Gabe smirks, cuddling his head next to Grace’s. “Ever heard of planes, Cassie?”

“Are you gonna be staying with us?” Grace asks, her words a rush of excitement.

“Yup!”

Grace screams and buries her face into Gabe’s shoulder. “YAYAYAYAYAYAY!”

“Gabe, we should really talk about –”

“You can stay in my room!” Grace shouts over Cas. “And you can sneak me candy, right Uncle Gabe? Right, right, right?”

“’Course baby girl.” Gabe bops her on the nose, making her squeal in excitement again.

Cas is excited to see his older brother, of course he is, but he’s still wary. There has to be a reason Gabe’s here. He hadn’t told his older brother about Meg skipping out on her parole officer. Did something else happen?

“Gabriel, I need to talk to you.” Cas’s voice is hard and commanding. Both Grace and Gabe look up at him with matching innocent expressions. “Grace, go play in your room for a few minutes please.”

“But _Daaad!_ ”

“Grace.”

“Fine,” Grace pouts, jumping down from Gabe’s arms and shuffling her way into her room. It’s only once Cas hears the click of her door that he turns back to Gabe.

His brother’s sitting at the kitchen table now, somehow already with a lollipop sticking out of his mouth. He seems fairly relaxed, and his cover would be perfect if it isn’t for his shaking leg.

“Gabriel, please tell me what’s going on.” Cas slides into the seat opposite his brother. “You know I have no qualms about you being here. Hell, I even asked you if you wanted to move to Lawrence with us. But Gabe, I know something’s up and I need to know what it is.”

Gabe sucks on his lollipop for a few more moments, watching Cas with a sad look in his eyes. Cas doesn’t like that look. It’s the very same look Gabe used when they were kids to get out of trouble and get Cas _in_ trouble. It’s the very same look that Gabe wore across his face for months after their parents left them.

“I heard about Meg,” Gabe says quietly. “Did you tell Grace?”

“No.”

“Good…she doesn’t need to know yet,” Gabe looks down at the table for a few moments. Cas knows there’s more, he can feel it hanging heavily between them. “I called in a favor from Kali, you know how much she likes you.” It’s true, Gabe’s ex-wife has always had a soft spot for Cas, even before the whole Meg thing happened. “She looked into the database at the station and well, the police haven’t been able to find Meg yet, but they have pictures of her running a red light just outside of Cleveland.”

“Cassie, stay ca-”

“Do not tell me to stay calm!” Cas is out of his chair and pacing around the kitchen before he can even finish processing Gabriel’s words. So Meg does know where they are. She’s coming for them.

“Castiel,” Gabe stands up too and places both hands on Cas’s shoulders. “Listen, little bro. Maybe she’s working her way over to Lawrence, maybe she isn’t. The thing is _we don’t know_. You need to stay calm, if not for your own sake then for Grace’s.”

Cas can do that, he can stay calm. He takes a deep breath, bottling all of his fears, and then lets it all out. It’ll be okay.

“Gabe,” Cas whispers. Why is he whispering? He shakes his head and sits back down at the kitchen table. “Why are you really here, though?”

Gabriel looks down at the table, taking his seat. When he looks up again, his eyes are full of sadness and worry. It’s such an unusual expression in his eyes that Cas finds himself mirroring it almost perfectly.

“I’m worried about you and Grace,” Gabriel says. “I understand why you wanted to move to Lawrence, but I feel so useless up in Boston without you guys. I want to be here to help protect you.” Gabe’s silent for another moment before muttering, “And I kinda sorta missed you a lot.”

Despite the present chill from news about Meg, Cas can’t help but grin at that. He can’t deny that he’s missed Gabriel. It’s been especially odd not finding random candy wrappers littered across the house.

“I’ve missed you, too, big bro.”

Gabriel lights up. “Does that mean I can stay?”

“Of course you can.”

Jumping up from the table, Gabe places a wet obnoxious kiss to Cas’s hair and strides off to Grace’s room claiming that he has a niece to play with and corrupt against her father. Cas shakes his head but laughs anyway. Having Gabe around will be good for Grace. It’ll be good for all of them.

Without much though, Cas takes out his phone and clicks on Dean’s contact. They’d exchanged numbers before Cas had left to pick up Grace yesterday.

_Gabe’s here._

Dean’s reply is almost immediate.

_That’s a good thing, right?_

Cas nods but then realizes Dean can’t see him.

_Yes, of course, but I hope you’re prepared for a sugar high affected Grace for however long he stays._

_Baby, I’m ready for anything those kids throw at me._

Cas laughs to himself. He and Dean haven’t exactly discussed their relationship, or whatever it is they have between them, yet. Friday night was…well, it was amazing. And not even just the sex, just being close to someone else, to Dean, was enough to keep Cas feeling giddy even now.

He keeps his happiness in check, making sure to only seem slightly more cheerful than usual. The last thing he needs is for Grace to get suspicious. If he and Dean were dating – are they? Cas supposes they aren’t – it isn’t exactly illegal. Only frowned upon. _Highly_ frowned upon.

And for that reason, Grace cannot know. Maybe it would be easier to just back out completely from whatever it is between him and Dean, but the thing is, Cas really doesn’t _want_ to. There’s something about Dean that just keeps pulling him in; that makes him lose himself when he’s around him. Cas hasn’t felt like that in years. So no, just this once, he’s going to risk it.

 

**~~*~~*~~*~~*~~**

 

“Uncle Gabe, you gotta believe me,” Grace begs.

Gabe looks at his niece with squinted eyes and a look that purely reads _are you sure about that?_

“I dunno, Grace,” Gabe says. “Cassie’s always been one to follow the rules. I don’t think he hooked up with your teacher.”

Grace cocks her head to the side. “What’s hooking up mean?”

Shit. Gabe has to be more careful around her. “Nothing, sweetie.”

Grace harrumphs and crosses her arms. She’s sitting on her bed with Gabe, who’s rummaging through one of his bags in search of his phone charger. “It doesn’t matter, I know that Daddy loves Mr. Winchester.”

Gabe smiles; amused by Grace’s bluntness. “And how do you know that?”

“Well,” Grace begins. “When he picked me up yesterday from Hannah’s house, he was wearing one of Mr. Winchester’s shirts.”

This information causes Gabe to pause in his search for his phone charger. If Cas was wearing Mr. Winchester’s shirt, then there’s only so many reasons. Holy shit, Cassie probably fucked Grace’s teacher. Gabe huffs out a shocked breath, almost like a hiccup. Who knew Cassie had it in him.

“And you’re sure that this was Mr. Winchester’s shirt?”

Grace nods enthusiastically. “I wasn’t at first, but after I thought about it I was. I’m four thousand three hundred and twenty one percent sure, Uncle Gabe. Daddy’s in love with Mr. Winchester and Mr. Winchester let Daddy wear his shirt.”

Having found his charger in between two pairs of socks, Gabe hooks his phone up to the outlet on the other side of the room and then comes back to sit next to Grace.

He ruffles her hair, earning himself a giggle. God, he’s missed her so much in the past few months. “How would you feel if your Dad really did like Mr. Winchester in that way?” If Grace doesn’t want it, then Gabe needs to go talk to Cas as soon as possible.

“Not _if_ , Uncle Gabe, Daddy really does love Mr. Winchester, and Mr. Winchester loves him back. I used magic to make sure. I want them to get married and have kids and I can be a big sister.”

The radiant smile, more than her words, is what sells it for Gabe. Grace really does want her dad to fall in love with her teacher, and if she’s correct, then it looks like it could be a possibility.

Grace goes on to talk about how nice and funny Mr. Winchester is and how well he could fit into their family. She’s sure that Gabe will like him, but Gabe has his trepidations. Cassie’s been hurt before, hurt badly, and he can’t help but feel protective over his little brother.

When their parents left them, they were both messes, but Cas was much worse off. Gabe would come home from school every day to find Cas sitting by the window staring at the bees in the garden. He would never talk during those times, and often not even for hours afterwards.

Gabriel has no desire to see Castiel hurt in any way.

There’s a knock on the door and Gabe looks up to see Cas watching him and Grace.

“What do you two want for dinner?”

And just like that, it’s as if nothing has changed. It’s as if the three of them are spending the Sunday afternoon in Gabe’s apartment in Boston.

“Hot dogs?” Grace asks with excitement.

A comfortable weight settles in Gabe’s soul. He’s missed his family.

 

**~~*~~*~~*~~*~~**

 

Cas knows he’s going at least fifteen over the speed limit, but he’s past the point of caring. Fresh beads of sweat – brought on from anxiety – are forming on his brow and he wipes them away.

He should have picked up Grace and Hannah exactly twenty three minutes ago.

“Fucking Crowley,” Cas curses under his breath. If there were any other job opportunities in town that would work with his hours, then Cas would be out of King’s Pawnshop before Crowley would have the chance to snake his filthy paws over Cas’s body.

A shiver runs down his back at the ghost of the hand that was clasped around his hip as the other cascaded down his chest. _Damn Crowley, damn him to hell._

Lawrence Elementary School comes into view as Cas eases off the gas pedal. His tardiness at picking his daughter up from school is already terrible, but he isn’t only picking Grace up. He’d allowed Hannah to come over after school – per Grace’s request – but now he can’t help but regret it. Mrs. Langman is going to have him burned at the stake.

The tires squeal on the asphalt when he slams on the breaks in front of the school. God, how many times has this exact scenario occurred? Grace and Hannah aren’t sitting on the front steps of the school with Dean. There’s a thin layer of snow on the ground, it’s much too cold to be waiting outside for a father who hadn’t shown up.

The tension in his throat is back, but Cas chokes it down. He has to keep it together, he can’t lose himself. He has Grace to worry about.

He runs up the front steps and bursts through the doors to find that the lobby is also vacant. Anxiety builds and all Cas can think is: _Meg_. Just as his knees are about to give out, he hears a giggle. He freezes, then another giggle. Cas follows the noise, it’s Grace, he knows it is, and ends up halfway down the closest hallway. He enters the library and exhales a sigh of relief.

Sitting on a few bean bags in the corner are Grace, Hannah, and Dean. There’s a hacky-sack being tossed around between the three of them, going from Dean to Hannah to Grace and back again. Cas watches for a moment, catching the breath he hadn’t realized he’d lost. When his oxygen quota is up to par, he steps farther into the library and makes his presence known by clearing his throat. Grace looks up and her eyes fill with delight.

“Daddy!” She’s up and in his arms within the next second. “I was so worried about you, Daddy.”

The words break Cas’s heart. No matter how much he disappoints her, Grace still believes in him. God, he has no idea what he would do without her.

“I’m okay, baby,” Cas reassures her. It’s a blatant lie, he is very much _not_ okay right now, but he says it anyway. “I’m so sorry I’m late.”

“That’s okay, Daddy,” Grace says. She pecks a kiss to his forehead and wiggles to let him know she wants to be let down. Cas doesn’t let her down, though, at least not yet. He was so scared that Meg could have gotten to her and he’s already shaken up from work. He needs her, he needs the comforting weight being with his daughter brings. It’s only when she starts to get a worried look in her eyes that he lets her stand on her own.

Hannah’s standing by Dean – the hacky-sack out of sight. She doesn’t seem fazed by Cas’s tardiness. It makes him wonder if her own mother has been this late before or if she truly doesn’t actually care. Either way, he moves on and looks at Dean. This is his big mistake. It’s difficult to read the other man, but Cas can pick out the concern flooding from Dean like a traffic light flashing in the dead of night.

“Th-thank you, Dean,” Cas stammers. This is the first time he’s seen him since Saturday morning when Dean dropped him off at his car.

“Cas, we need to talk.”

Cas’s blood runs cold. _No_ , he only just got Dean, he can’t lose him already. Dean must see the pain in his eyes because he quickly backtracks.

“It’s nothing about Friday night.”

“What was Friday night?” Hannah asks. Grace looks up at Cas with an excited glint in her eye.

“Nothing.”

“But, Da-”

“Alright girls,” Dean interrupts, sending an amused look Cas’s way. “I think we should head out to Grace’s dad’s car.”

Grace glares at her teacher, but there’s no heat behind it. The four of them walk quietly to the car, Grace’s and Hannah’s backpacks shuffling on their backs. Cas and Dean hang back behind the girls, letting them walk in front of them. Occasionally Dean’s fingers brush against Cas’s and a warm tingle works its way through Cas. He’s been thinking about Dean a lot in the past few days. To be honest, Dean’s never really left his mind.

“Will you girls be okay in the car for a few minutes?” Cas asks. They both nod as they climb into the back seats. The Prius door closes behind them with a thud.

When Cas turns away from the car he sees the full amount of concern written in Dean’s eyes. “Are you okay?”

It’s instinct for Cas to say yes, but he can’t bring himself to do it, to lie to Dean. This is the man that’s been there for him and for Grace for the past few months. He’s stripped himself bare for Cas, literally and figuratively. He can’t lie, so he says the truth.

“No.”

“What’s going on?”

Cas looks down, a sense of shame filling him. Is he really so weak that he lets himself be harassed at work? He’s Castiel fucking Novak, and yet, he’s still just Cassie. His teeth clench tightly. He’s angry, God, he’s angry. If he didn’t need this job then he would castrate Crowley himself.

“Do you remember saying that you were considering working for Crowley again?”

Dean scrunches his face. “Yeah, but what does that have to do with anything?”

“Don’t do it,” Cas says. It’s almost a demand. “Swear to me that you won’t do it.”

“Cas,” Dean looks hesitant. “What’s going on?”

Cas rubs a hand down his face. “It’s gotten worse.”

A hand settles on his shoulder and Cas squeezes his eyes shut. “What’s gotten worse, Cas?”

“Crowley.”

Cas opens his eyes, but all he can see is the confusion on Dean’s face. How is he not getting it? Cas rolls his hips, not close enough to touch Dean but enough so that Grace and Hannah won’t see if they’re looking. Dean instantly gets the message. His eyes widen and his face reddens with anger.

“Crowley’s been harassing you?” There’s venom laced in Dean’s voice. “Tell me what he did.”

“He um,” Cas peeks into the car and sees Grace and Hannah intently coloring inside a coloring book. “He’s never technically touched me before, but today he sort of, uh, grabbed me by the hip and uh, started feeling my chest. He, um, tried to kiss me but I pushed him off.”

Dean growls, a low and throaty sound. “I’m going to fucking kill him.” His fingers are running through his hair and mussing it up. “I swear to God, Cas, I’ll end him.”

“You can’t,” Cas says, defeated. “He can fire me and I need this job.”

“Cas –”

“Dean, I can’t risk it!”

Grace and Hannah look up from the coloring book and Cas silently tells them to mind their own business. Dean’s still soundlessly fuming.

“I’m going to go talk to him,” Dean says, and then he’s walking away headed to his Impala across the parking lot. Cas knows a man on a mission when he sees one. There’s no way he can talk Dean out of talking to Crowley. Fuck.

He gets into the car and buckles his seat belt. “Change of plans, girls. I’m going to drop you off at home with Uncle Gabe and then run a quick errand. That okay?”

“Yes, Daddy.”

Great. Now all Cas has to do is drop them off before Dean has the chance to murder his boss. They make it home within ten minutes. Cas waits until he sees Gabe let them in before he calls Dean’s cell.

Dean answers on the third ring.

“ _Cas, you can’t stop me from –_ ”

“I’m coming with you.”

“ _Huh?_ ”

Cas rolls his eyes and puts the car into drive and enters the roadway, not forgetting to use his blinker. “I want to be there.”

“ _I’ll wait for you outside of the shop._ ”

“Thanks.” Cas hangs up and presses the gas a little more. When he parks outside of King’s Pawnshop, he sees Dean sitting on the hood of his Impala.

Dean looks up, a devilish smile on his face. “You ready, Cas?”

“You better not make me lose my job,” is Cas’s only response as he strides into the shop. He doesn’t know where his sense of certainty came from, but he’s no longer shaken up. Inwardly scared? Maybe. But he refuses to let it show.

The bell over the door chimes, a crazy juxtaposition for the anger boiling deep inside Cas’s being. Dean’s hand settles over Cas’s lower back for a moment, a calm reassurance that everything is going to be okay. Cas exhales, leaning into the touch, a sort of thank you. And then it’s gone and Cas is on his own.

“Novak? What the hell are you doing here?”

Crowley comes out of his office, striding over to Cas with an obnoxious flare of his hips. He deepens his voice and asks, “Did you change your mind?”

Dean wraps his hand around Cas’s arm and tugs him back so that they’re standing side by side. Crowley’s eyes widen, only now noticing that he’s not alone with the object of his desires.

“Who the bloody hell are you?”

“Dean Winchester.” Dean’s voice is rock hard. “And I don’t appreciate you hitting on my boyfriend.”

Cas can see how wide Crowley’s eyes become, and it’s amazing that he can see at all because he’s sure his eyes are at least ten times as large as Crowley’s at present. _Did Dean just refer to him as his boyfriend?_

“What?” Crowley and Cas ask at the same time. Thankfully, Cas’s question isn’t uttered past his lips, but instead remains in his thoughts.

Dean threads his fingers with Cas’s and kisses the knuckles. “Castiel here is my boyfriend, and even if our relationship is progressive in this part of the country, we have no interest in infidelity or polygamy.”

He doesn’t know if Dean’s just saying this to keep Crowley away from him or if he really does want Cas to be his boyfriend, but either way it’s as if he’s on cloud nine. Dean’s fingers tighten around Cas’s and he squeezes back. There’s rage in Crowley’s eyes.

“Hold on one freaking second, I know you,” Crowley spits, pointing a red finger at Dean. “You worked here a few years ago.” Cas sees Dean’s entire body tense slightly. “Yeah, you were the one with the cowboy get up who quit after three days.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Dean says through clenched teeth. Cas knows Dean used to be a stripper here, but he’s still not sure what actually happened.

Crowley sneers at Dean, and oddly, Cas feels extremely possessive over the school teacher. No one should be able to look at Dean like that.

“You selfish bastard,” Crowley spits. “You weren’t happy with my cock so you went and took Castiel’s, took him away from me knowing that I wanted him. Is this your idea of revenge?”

_What the fuck?_ Cas pushes himself in front of Dean, who looks absolutely livid now, and glares at his boss. “I am not an object, I am a human being and I make my own choices. Dean did not take me away from you because I was never yours. And neither am I his, I am my own.”

Cas looks behind him at Dean, sees the way Dean’s jaw is slack open and his eyes are unfocused and realizes just how loud he was.

He turns back to Crowley and sees a similar effect. Huh. He licks his dry lips and walks to the door, Dean in tow. “I’ll be in tomorrow morning, and I expect no harassment.”

He pushes open the door but stops when he hears Crowley say, “As you wish, Clarence.”

Dread pools in Cas’s gut. His head flips around and his eyes dilate in fear. “What did you just call me?”

“Nothing,” Crowley says, cool and collected. No, he couldn’t have said it. No one has ever called him that, no one but Meg. But…he could have sworn Crowley just called him Clarence.

He closes his eyes, slipping out the door and taking a shaky breath. Crowley must have said Castiel. He must have.

But even later that night, when Cas is rolling around in bed trying desperately to fall asleep, he knows that Crowley said Clarence.

 

**~~*~~*~~*~~*~~**

 

“ _Fergus,_ ” a smooth silky voice says over the line. “ _I didn’t think I’d be hearing from you for quite some time._ ”

“Things have changed, my dear Meg,” Crowley says, spinning around in his office chair. “Our little Cas has gotten some nerve.”

“ _Really?_ ” There’s a sweet laugh. “ _Excuse me if I have my doubts._ ”

Crowley barely resists the urge to roll his eyes. Working with Meg after so many years, it can be quite tiring. One would think that she would trust him after everything, but he can still sense her doubt in him.

“He’s gotten himself a boy toy,” Crowley says nonchalantly, already feeling the tension rolling off of Meg in waves. “Some Dean Winchester broad.”

“ _Winchester?_ ”

“That’s what I said, darling.”

Meg curses and there’s a crash, but then she’s back on the line. “ _That fucker wouldn’t happen to be the brother of Sam Winchester?_ ”

“I wouldn’t know.”

“ _Well find out!_ ” Meg snaps. There’s a broken sigh, almost like a grunt. “ _Avoiding the police is harder than I anticipated. I’m not sure when I’ll be able to make it to Lawrence. Give me a week._ ”

“You’re working on your own time, darling,” Crowley says. “I would just hate to see your lover fall for someone else.”

A snarl echoes through the phone. “ _Impossible!_ ” Meg’s voice is pure venom. “ _Castiel is_ mine _, and only mine. When I take care of that little brat he carries around with him, then he’ll remember how much he loves me._ ”

“Whatever you say, Meg.” Quite frankly, Crowley is getting bored. Nothing fun is happening yet. “Just hurry the bloody hell up and get your ass over to Lawrence.”

“ _Trust me,_ ” Meg sneers. “ _I’ll be there soon._ ”


	9. Chapter Nine

_How much candy has Grace been given?_

Dean sends out the text and then surveys the classroom, making sure that none of the kids are cheating off the others. It’s just a simple vocab quiz. He can see that Grace’s leg is shaking violently underneath her desk. She never did that before.

_So many._

Dean barks out a laugh, causing every student to look up at him. He clears his throat awkwardly.

“Uh, sorry guys. Back to work.”

Metatron’s the last one that looks back to his quiz. The suspicious look in his eyes sets Dean on edge. Again, he’s reminded that he shouldn’t be seeing a student’s parent, but it just seems so right. They aren’t even dating, are they? If Cas asked, then Dean would say yes.

_You can blame Gabriel._

Dean smiles, leaning down farther in his rolling chair.

_I swear to god her leg’s gonna fall off_

_Is she shaking that badly?_

_Yeeessss_

There’s a break between messages. Dean assumes that Cas is busy with work. Which, in actuality, Dean should be busy too. The kids are going to be finished with their spelling quizzes soon.

_I told Gabriel to stop giving her candy. He sent me a picture of a pillow case full of lollipops._

Dean barely resists the urge to laugh aloud.

_She’ll get tired of it eventually_

_HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHA_

_What?_

_You weren’t there when we were in Boston. There is no end to the candy._

Hannah comes up to Dean’s desk and hands in her spelling quiz.

“Thanks, Hannah. How was it?”

Hannah peers over the desk, eyeing Dean’s cell phone with a raised eyebrow. Dean quickly slips the device into his pocket.

“It was easy, Mr. Winchester.”

“Glad to hear it. You can read now.”

Once Hannah goes back to her seat, Dean pulls out his phone again, careful to keep it hidden from the kids.

_Shouldn’t you be working, Dean?_

_They’re taking a spelling quiz_

_Oh. Crowley’s at lunch._

Two more kids bring up their quizzes and Dean quickly grades the three he has. Two get nineties and the other – Dean looks to the top and sees Hannah’s name – gets a one hundred.

_He hasn’t been bothering you since last week, right?_

_Surprisingly, no._

Even with the confirmation that Crowley isn’t bothering Cas anymore, Dean still feels a spiral of anger. Who the hell does Crowley think he is?

“Hey, Mr. Winchester?”

Dean looks up to see Grace standing in front of his desk. He hadn’t even noticed she got up.

“Yes, Grace? Did you finish your quiz?”

She nods and passes the sheet to him. “But I have a question for you.”

Dean squints his eyes and then realizes that he looks like he’s interrogating a child. He relaxes and nods.

“What’s up?”

“Can I call my daddy during lunch?”

Dean takes a deep breath, praying it doesn’t sound like a sigh. Grace hasn’t asked to call her dad since the first month she was here. He thought that maybe things were getting better. Perhaps not.

Grace is looking at him with pleading eyes, large and blue and so much like Cas that it makes Dean want to do anything to make her happy again.

“How ‘bout I think about it and let you know before lunch, okay?”

“Okay.”

Grace goes back to her seat and Dean pulls his phone out. He’s never texted this much during class before.

_Grace just asked if she could call you during lunch. Is everything okay?_

Cas doesn’t respond until four more kids bring up their quizzes and Dean corrects them.

_Shit, I’ve been trying so hard not to seem off._

_What’s going on?_

Dean checks the clock and sees that only a few more kids are finishing their quizzes. “Five more minutes, guys.”

_My brother’s ex-wife discovered that Meg got caught by a red light in Cleveland. She hasn’t been caught yet._

_Shit. Does Grace know?_

_No. And do not tell her._

Dean nods before realizing that Cas can’t see him.

_I won’t._

_I have to get back to work, I’ll see you later._

_See you._

Dean pockets his phone and stands up to address the class. “Is there anyone who hasn’t finished the quiz yet?”

Four hands raise and a few other kids get up from their desks and bring their quizzes forward. “Two more minutes and then I’m collecting them. I’ve given you all plenty of time.”

Dean finishes correcting the quizzes that he has; so far no one has failed. He gives his class weekly spelling quizzes, and most of the kids do extremely well on them.

The remaining kids bring up their quizzes and Dean corrects them. Just as he expected, no failures. The rest of class until lunch times goes well, everyone paying attention and completing the tasks he gives them.

When eleven thirty rolls around, the kids all pick up their lunch boxes or money to buy lunch and head to the cafeteria. Usually Dean will either go to Charlie’s classroom and eat lunch with her or she comes to his.

He feels a tug on his pant leg and sees that Grace has come around to the side of his desk that he’s sitting at. Dean completely forgot that she wanted to call her dad. And he forgot to ask Cas if it would be okay.

“Can I call my daddy?”

Dean swallows, avoiding her piercing gaze. He’s not exactly allowed to let students call their parents during the day, not unless they go to the office or if it’s for a medical reason. Maybe he can get Grace to talk to him instead.

Dean gets out of his chair and crouches in front of Grace. This way they’re eye level.

“What’s up, sweetie?” Dean asks as calmly as he can. “Why do you wanna call your dad?”

Grace looks down at her intertwined hands, shaking them out and looking back up at Dean. “I’m worried about him.”

Dean nods understandingly. “Do you wanna talk about it?”

Grace’s big blue eyes look hopeful. “You promise not to tell him?”

“I promise.”

“Well –”

“Hey Dean, wanna go out for drinks tonight?” Charlie interrupts. She spots Grace and her eyes widen. “Oh. Hi Grace.” Charlie walks into the classroom, standing opposite of them by the desk.

“Hi, Mrs. Bradbury.”

“Why aren’t you at lunch?”

Grace looks down again, fisting her fingers around the hem of her blue cotton long sleeved shirt. It matches her eyes. Dean wonders if Cas picked it out for her on purpose.

“I wanna call my daddy.”

Charlie locks eyes with Dean. He’s guilty of telling her everything. Understanding passes through her expression when Dean shakes his head slightly. They really shouldn’t call her dad.

“What do you wanna talk to him about?” Charlie asks, using her calming teacher voice. She comes around to their side of the desk and crouches next to Dean.

“Anything,” Grace says. “I just wanna…” she trails off, tears forming in her eyes. Crap. Dean knows from years of experience that as soon as the tears spill over, there’s no hope. He’ll have a crying child on his hands for at least fifteen minutes. “I just wanna talk to him!”

Grace stomps her foot, a sob breaking out of her.

“Shh,” Charlie shushes her, holding out her arms. Grace barrels into Charlie’s embrace, hiccupping through her tears. “It’s okay, sweetie. It’ll be okay.”

“I’m so,” Grace hiccups. “Worried about my Daddy.” She buried her head in Charlie’s shoulder, smearing tears all over the fabric of her t-shirt. Grace is dangerously close to full out howling, Dean can see it on the horizon. The last time he had a kid cry like this they’d fallen off the monkey bars and sprained their ankle.

Before Dean can second guess himself, he’s pulling out his phone and clicking on Cas’s contact. It rings three times before Cas picks up.

“ _Hello?_ ” Cas sounds confused.

“Uh, hey, Cas.”

“ _Why are you calling me at work? Shouldn’t you be teaching?_ ”

Dean rubs the back of his neck. Grace is still sobbing into Charlie’s shirt. Although, Charlie has caught on to what he’s doing and is watching with wide incriminating eyes.

“It’s my lunch break.”

Cas still sounds confused when he says, “ _Well, it isn’t mine. I’m sorry, but I gotta get back to work._ ”

“Wait, Cas, hold on.”

“ _What, Dean? I need to have these papers done by the time I leave or Crowley’s going to be pissed._ ”

Even the mention of Crowley’s name makes a grumble form in Dean’s chest. But that’s not why Dean’s calling him.

“Grace wants to talk to you.”

At this, Grace picks her head up from Charlie’s shoulder and stares at Dean with glistening blue eyes. “Is that my dad?”

Dean nods, passing the phone to Grace. He hears Cas saying something, but he can’t make out what. Grace’s small fingers wrap around the phone and she brings it up to her ear.

“Daddy?” There’s a pause, presumably Cas is talking. “But this is important…I know…How are you?...Please…Do you promise?...Not today, no Hannah, just me and you…okay…I love you, Daddy.”

Grace passes the phone to Dean, her tears already starting to dry.

“ _Dean?_ ”

“Yeah.”

“ _I…um, thank you,_ ” Cas says, his voice much softer than it was before. “ _For letting her talk to me. I know it’s not allowed, but thank you._ ”

Dean stands up, signaling that he’s going out in the hallway to talk for a moment and then he’ll be back. “She started crying, like really badly. I don’t think I really had a choice.”

“ _I’m sorry,_ ” Cas whispers.

“Cas, don’t apologize,” Dean says.

There’s a sniffle over the line. “ _I gotta go. I’ll see you when I pick up Grace. Bye._ ”

Dean says bye, but Cas has already hung up. He swallows heavily. Okay then. _Cas is probably just stressed,_ he tells himself. He knows it’s true.

He walks back into his classroom, clearing his thoughts of Cas. He needs to focus on Grace now. She’s wrapped in Charlie’s embrace again, softly sniffling. Dean crouches down next to her and wraps her in a hug from behind, sandwiching her between himself and Charlie.

“Do you wanna go to lunch and then recess with the other kids or do you want to stay in here with Mrs. Bradbury and me?” Dean finds himself asking. It’s probably because he’s so fond of Grace that he would even offer.

Grace twists in Charlie’s hold and looks up at Dean. He barely resists the urge to gasp. She looks just like Cas did at the bar after he’d told Dean about Meg. The glossy blue irises and just slightly scrunched up noses are so similar that Dean feels like he’s looking at a copy of Cas right now.

“I can stay with you?” Grace asks, her voice hesitant.

Dean smiles gently and Charlie rubs a hand down Grace’s arm, an added comfort. “Of course, sweetie.”

A few minutes later and they’re all seated behind Dean’s desk, having grabbed two extra chairs from behind desks.

Grace is quietly munching on her ham and cheese sandwich, listening to Dean and Charlie talk about the upcoming LARPing event this weekend. Dean secretly hopes that Cas and Grace will show up and be handmaidens with him again. There are bound to be extra costumes laying around somewhere for them.

When there’s a lull in the conversation, Grace carefully raises her hand. An endearing smile works its way onto Dean’s expression. They aren’t in class, there’s no need for Grace to raise her hand.

“Yes, Grace?”

“Can I ask you a question?” Her voice is soft and innocent. Dean braces himself. He’s worked with kids enough to know that her question is going to be tricky. He locks eyes with Charlie. She doesn’t know either. He nods his head. “Why does my daddy have your shirt?”

Dean cocks his head to the side in confusion. _What is Grace talking_ – Oh. His entire face must be on fire, because the heat is almost unbearable. Charlie chokes on her yogurt, barely holding back a spew of strawberry banana. He should have known that Grace would recognize the shirt; he never even got it back from Cas.

“I, um.” Is there any way he can even answer this? To Grace’s knowledge he hadn’t seen her dad at all that weekend. Shit. Better be as vague as possible and hope she doesn’t ask too many questions. “I let him borrow it.”

Grace squints her eyes. “Why couldn’t he wear his own?”

“It got dirty.” It’s not exactly a lie.

“You didn’t give my daddy your shirt because you love him?”

Dean’s jaw drops and out of the corner of his eyes he sees Charlie’s hand fly to her mouth. Grace is one hundred percent serious. Dean’s face heats even further. God, he can’t remember the last time he was so embarrassed.

“Your dad needed a shirt and I gave him one,” Dean says, clearly not answering the question. “No more questions about it, okay?”

Grace nods, bringing her sandwich up to her mouth and taking a small bite.

Dean knows for a fact that she can see through his bullshit.

 

**~~*~~*~~*~~*~~**

Grace loiters by Mr. Winchester and keeps eye contact with Hannah across the school lobby. She’s sure that Mr. Winchester was lying to her earlier. That shirt was an act of love and she knows it. She’d dismissed herself from Mr. Winchester and Mrs. Bradbury after lunch was over and met Hannah in the playground. Hannah agreed with Grace and now their plan is set in action.

No matter what, they’re going to get Mr. Winchester and Daddy to admit their love for each other. And they’re going to get them to do it today.

Right on schedule, Dad walks through the school doors and beams at Grace. His gaze seems to travel above her to Mr. Winchester and his smile brightens, but then he’s looking at her again and she’s not sure if he ever really did look up.

“Hello, angel,” Cas says once he’s reached them, ruffling her long blonde hair. He looks up, this time for sure, and his expression turns almost sheepish. “Hello, Dean.”

“Hey, Cas,” Mr. Winchester rumbles. Hannah rolls her eyes from across the lobby. The two adults are on a first name basis. God, they’re so oblivious.

Grace locks eyes with Hannah and receives a nod. Go time.

“Daddy?”

“Yes, baby?” Dad is still looking at Mr. Winchester. Grace clears her throat and her dad’s eyes return to her. _Oblivious_ , she sing-songs in her head.

“Why does Mr. Winchester have your phone number?”

Dad’s mouth opens as if to answer, and then it closes again. This happens two more times. Grace cocks her head to the side, watching the two adults become flustered. Hannah makes her way over to them and stands next to Grace. Mrs. Langman is talking to another parent and doesn’t even notice Hannah’s disappearance.

“I, um,” Dad says elegantly. He looks to Mr. Winchester for help but none is given.

“ _Dad._ ”

“Grace, we gotta go,” Dad says suddenly. Grace follows his line of sight and sees that he’s looking at Mrs. Moseley, the principal of Lawrence Elementary School. Mrs. Moseley is watching them all, a knowing look in her eye. Grace decides she doesn’t like that look.

“But, Da –”

Dad takes Grace’s hand and pulls her toward him. “I promise baby, I’ll explain everything once we get home. I’ll answer all your questions.”

“Only if Hannah can come over!” Grace whines. She knows it’s whining, but if she’s finally going to get answers, she wants her best friend and partner in crime to be there too.

“Grace, goddammit,” Dad swears. Grace’s eyes widen and she digs her heels into the ground. Dad runs a hand through his hair, blowing air through his mouth. “Sorry, I’m sorry. That was uncalled for. I’ll go ask Hannah’s mother right now, but then we _need_ to leave. Go stand with Dean.”

Huh, Dad called him Dean not Mr. Winchester.

“C’mere,” Mr. Winchester beckons Grace and Hannah, both obliging quickly. Mrs. Moseley is still watching them. Grace catches her gaze and keeps it. Neither of them look away until Mr. Winchester is turning her around and crouching down to look at her. “I gave your dad my number because I wanted him to have it,” he whispers. “I don’t know what your dad is going to tell you later, but if you want to call me on his phone, you’re more than welcome to do that.”

Grace nods, she doesn’t know what else to do.

Dad comes back a few minutes later and makes eye contact with Mr. Winchester. There’s a faint smile on his lips when their eyes connect and it makes Grace’s heart melt.

“Hannah can stay until six but then her mom’s gonna pick her up,” Dad tells them. Hannah squeals, jumping around with Grace. “Say goodbye to your teacher, girls.”

“Bye, Mr. Winchester,” they chorus.

Mr. Winchester smiles. “Goodbye, girls.” He looks up and winks at Grace’s dad, making him blush and wave goodbye.

Either there’s something going on between the two of them already or they are so oblivious that Grace’s stuffed guinea pig would be able to tell they are in love with each other.

 

**~~*~~*~~*~~*~~**

 

The ride home is quiet except for Grace and Hannah singing along to songs on the radio. When they pull into the apartment complex parking lot Grace sees that Uncle Gabe’s car is still there, meaning he’s home.

“Uncle Gabe’s home!” Grace squeals. She unbuckles and pushes her door open as soon as the car is at a complete stop. Hannah follows her lead, leaving Cas to turn the car off alone. He takes a deep breath, letting it out as a shudder. He needs to talk to Grace, and also Hannah due to her closeness to his daughter, and he needs to tell her the truth. Not about everything, but what she needs to know.

Cas doesn’t like the way the principal was watching them in the lobby.

“Gabe, I’m home,” he calls, closing the front door to his apartment. Gabe isn’t always there when Cas comes home from work and picking up Grace, sometimes he’s at meetings for his candy shop in Boston, but attends them with a branch in Lawrence he’s hoping to open soon.

“In the living room, little bro!”

Cas follows the voice, stopping to take off his trench coat and put his keys, wallet, and phone on the counter. He walks into the living room to see three children – because let’s face it, Gabe is an overgrown child – all sucking on lollipops. There is no end to the candy, not when his older brother makes it for a living.

“I heard you were going to be dishing out some gossip,” Gabe teases. Cas rolls his eyes, plopping onto the couch beside his older brother. No matter how much he says Gabe annoys him, he’ll never miss him.

“It looks like two little girls I know can’t keep their mouths shut,” Cas quips. Grace and Hannah giggle to themselves but are too occupied with their lollipops to make much of a fuss. “But, yes. I promised.”

Gabe gets a wicked glint in his eyes and Cas knows he’s done for. “Awesome, have you done the dirty with Grace’s teacher?”

“What’s that?” Hannah asks. Grace shrugs. Cas sends out a silent prayer to whoever’s listening that neither of the two girls go around asking what that means.

“Yes,” Cas whispers so that only Gabe can hear him. The older man smirks around his lollipop, patting Cas on the back.

“I knew you had it in you, little bro.”

Cas blushes despite furiously telling his body not to. Grace is going to be able to see right through him once questions really start.

“My turn,” Grace says on cue. Cas nods his head, signifying he’s ready to answer. “Why does Mr. Winchester have your phone number?”

Cas contemplates how to answer, but in the end he decides on the truth.

“Because I gave it to him. I enjoy talking to him.”

Grace smiles warmly. “And why do you have his blue shirt, Daddy?”

Cas takes a deep breath. He promised to tell her the truth. If he’s being honest with himself, she needs to know this. It’s better to have Grace’s opinions on things than to hide them from her.

“When you were sleeping over Hannah’s house, I had gone out and ran into Dean – Mr. Winchester,” Cas says. He glances at Gabe who nods for him to go on. “We ended up talking for a little while and then we went to his house.”

“You and Mr. Winchester had a play date?” Hannah asks.

Gabe smirks around his lollipop and Cas has to elbow him to keep from cracking a smile himself.

Cas shrugs. “You could say that.”

“And then what, Daddy?”

“Well,” Cas scrunches up his nose, going through the memories and picking out which to tell his daughter. “I slept over and got egg all over my shirt, so Dean let me borrow one of his.” The egg part is a lie, yes, but there’s no actual reason that Grace or Hannah should need to know what really happened.

They’re all quiet for a moment, processing Cas’s answer. He’s not sure why since it’s not a very complicated one. Finally, Grace breaks the silence.

“Can I ask a bunch of questions at once and you give me quick answers?”

Cas shrugs. _Is that the second time since he’s gotten home?_ “Whatever you wanna do, angel.”

“Do you think Mr. Winchester is cute?”

Cas blushes. And goddammit, that’s another thing he keeps doing today. “Yes.”

“Do you have a crush on him?”

“I guess.”

“Do you know if he likes you back?”

“Yes.”

“Does he?” Grace practically shouts the question

Cas deliberates about lying but in the end decides on the truth. “Yes.”

“Are you dating?”

“Sort of.”

“Can I be the flower girl at your wedding?”

Cas can’t stop himself from laughing, but manages to say, “If that’s what you want, sweetie.”

“Am I allowed to tell people that you love Mr. Winchester?”

“No.”

“Can I call him Dean?”

“Outside of school if he’s okay with it.”

“Can he come over soon?”

“It’s up to him.”

“Mr. Winchester said I could call him if I wanted to. Can I?”

Cas’s lips part around the word yes, but then he closes his mouth before the word can be truly formed. He doesn’t want to bother Dean, especially after he’d been sort of rude this morning on the phone with him. But yet, if he offered his assistance to Grace, then it must be okay.

He nods his head and Grace gives him a kiss on his cheek. “Thank you, Daddy.”

Both she and Hannah run into the kitchen to get his phone. Cas sighs, knowing that everything is about to change. Is it selfish of him to wish that it’s for the better?


	10. Chapter Ten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: there is the use of daddy kink during a scene in this chapter (its the only "sexy" scene, you'll know), so if it's not for you, please skip ahead! the kink isn't used at any other time in the story, since Cas decides he doesn't like it very much. Happy reading!!

Dean hangs up the phone, relaxing into the couch cushions and closing his eyes. He’s just spent the past half hour talking to Grace and Hannah on the phone, listening to their excited squeals and answering every type of question known to man. And for the record, his favorite color is blue. And no, it has nothing to do with Castiel’s eyes. Nothing at all.

An alert on his phone reminds him to call Crowley and look for a job to help pay for Sammy’s final semester at Stanford. He’d set it before he’d found out that Crowley was very much harassing Cas, before he knew for a fact that there was no way in hell he’d ever go and work there again. He hated his time as a stripper – being judged by his body rather than who he is.

Still, he does need to find another job. Working as a teacher pays the bills and everything, but it doesn’t give him the extra cash he needs for Sam, and his weekend hours at Bobby’s aren’t cutting it. Working as a bartender at The Roadhouse like he did in college might bring in enough money, but only if he can make a lot in tips.

What Dean really needs is to win the lottery.

But unfortunately, the chances of that happening are next to zero.

Although, the chances of Dean being able to hang out with Cas tonight might be slightly better. Only slightly, but possibly just enough. If he asks, Grace might be excited enough to let Cas come over. She’ll have Gabriel and Hannah to keep her company.

A part of Dean would much rather go to Cas’s apartment and be surrounded by his small family. It’s lonely living all alone in Dean’s house. Sam comes up every now and then during breaks between school, but other than that, Dean’s all alone. He’s considered getting a pet, but cats don’t get along with him very well, and he’s not home enough for a dog. It wouldn’t be fair to the animal.

_I wonder if Cas has any animals._

Almost as if on cue, Dean’s phone rings again. He doesn’t realize he’s scrambling for it on the coffee table until he’s holding his breath and clicking the answer button. He didn’t even check to see if it was Cas, but somehow he knows it is.

“Hello?”

“ _Hello, Dean._ ”

A warm smile spreads across Dean’s lips at the sound of Cas’s voice. God, he’s so screwed if this comes back to bite him in the ass.

“What’s up, cutie?”

“ _Cutie?_ ” Cas laughs, and Dean can practically feel the vibrations working through his own chest. “ _I can’t say I was expecting that._ ”

“I’m just full of surprises.”

“ _That you are, Dean Winchester._ ” Cas clears his throat and says something to someone else, it’s much softer and far away sounding. “ _I was wondering if you’d like to do anything tonight. Hannah’s sleeping over, but Gabe’s perfectly fine with staying home and watching over the girls._ ”

Dean’s alight with excitement, his entire body thrumming. He wants to be around Cas so much it hurts. It’s almost scary. “Yeah, Cas, of course I want to do something tonight.”

They make plans for Cas to come over to Dean’s house around six and they’ll order Chinese takeout and watch Lord of the Rings. Now all Dean needs to do is wait.

 

**~~*~~*~~*~~*~~**

 

Cas knocks on Dean’s wooden front door and waits for the man to answer. It’s freezing outside at this time of night, and Cas is thankful for his trench coat. It’s never failed to keep him warm. Even during his trip through Alaska during college, he was perfectly content as long as he was wrapped in his trench.

However, Cas doesn’t need to wait for long. Dean opens the door and beckons him inside. His house looks different now that Cas isn’t drunk or hung over. It looks more welcoming, more Dean.

“Hello, Dean,” Cas whispers.

Dean stands close to him, shutting the door behind them and guiding Cas against it. He leans in close and whispers, “Hey, Cas,” before closing the distance and kissing him softly on the lips. It isn’t dirty, not at all, and it’s perfect. Cas has been thinking about kissing Dean for days. Sometimes when he’s lying in bed at night, he can still feel the ghost of Dean’s lips on his own. Not that he’d ever admit that out loud.

Dean pulls back, pressing one last peck to the corner of Cas’s lips, and slides his hand down Cas’s forearm until he reaches his hand and entwines their fingers.

“I already ordered,” Dean says, guiding Cas over toward the couch in his living room. “Hope you’re cool with lo mien.”

“Of course,” Cas says. He leans forward and steals another kiss from Dean right before they fall onto the couch, side by side. One kiss turns into another, which turns into another, and before Cas knows what’s happening, he’s been sitting on the couch kissing Dean for at least three minutes. He’s not sure when he threaded his fingers through Dean’s hair or when Dean wrapped his arms around Cas’s waist. All he knows is that he’s warm, content, and scarily resembling a teenager with their first boyfriend.

He turns his head slightly so that Dean’s lips are no longer on his own and rubs a soothing circle into the base of Dean’s skull.

“I am thirty four years old,” Cas says, a fondness in his voice. “Yet you make me feel like I’m sixteen.”

Dean huffs a laugh, his green eyes alight with the same giddiness that Cas feels inside himself. “I’m thirty two,” Dean says. “Does that mean I’m a gold digger?”

Cas smacks Dean in the arm playfully, amusement flooding his expression. “Don’t make me feel old.”

“But Cas,” Dean tries to look serious but fails miserably. “You already are old.”

“Yeah?” Cas quips. “Well this old guy can be both the Queen of England and Beyoncé at the same tea party, chase a seven year old around the house all day, beat the calculator, and create savings plans faster than any college kid out there.”

Dean’s eyes widen, his pupils almost devouring the green irises. “You can create savings plans?”

Cas’s lips part in a toothy grin. “Dean, you do know that I’m an accountant, right?” Of course Dean knows, he’s even been to Cas’s work.

“So does that mean you could help me put together a plan to pay for the rest of Sammy’s semester?” Dean’s about one second away from jumping up and down on the couch, his movement erratic and excited.

“I’d be happy to do so for you,” Cas says, anticipating Dean’s tight hug. He hugs the other man back, placing a gentle kiss to his cheek. “But, shouldn’t your brother be paying for that himself?”

Dean sighs, pulling his arms away from Cas’s waist and crossing them in front of his chest. Uh-oh.

“He is, but he can’t make up for it all. He’s already backwashed in student loans, they won’t let him take out any more. He’s interning at the law office he wants to work at after he graduates, which practically guarantees him the position, but it’s unpaid. I’m his big brother, I’ll always help him.”

It’s sweet, really, how Dean is so willing to help his brother.

“Gabriel paid for all of my textbooks throughout college,” Cas tells him. “It’s not nearly as much as what you’re doing for Sam, but it was still a lot of money that I didn’t have to spend. Trust me, your brother is very grateful.”

Dean’s about to respond, his mouth is open, when the doorbell rings. “Be right back,” he says instead. Cas relaxes back into the couch, finding comfort in the worn tan cushions. He slept a few hours on here when he was drunk. He barely remembers falling off in the dark, but he vividly remembers puking onto Dean’s lap. God, he’s such an embarrassing drunk.

Dean walks back into the room with takeout and two forks. Thank god he didn’t bring chopsticks, Cas can’t use them correctly for the life of him.

“Ready for Fellowship of the Ring?” Dean asks, passing Cas a container and a fork. Cas thanks him, popping open the top of the white box and smelling the food. He hasn’t had Chinese since he was in Boston.

“I’m ready whenever you are.” Obviously, they aren’t going to continue their conversation from before, but that’s okay. It’s evident that it makes Dean uncomfortable, so Cas won’t press. He makes a mental note to ask Dean when he would like to make the savings plan before he leaves.

For the meantime, however, Cas is content to lean against Dean on the couch and watch a movie with dinner. He has no idea what he and Dean are to each other, but whatever it is, he likes it.

 

**~~*~~*~~*~~*~~**

 

“ _Uncle Gabe,_ ” Grace sings, skipping down the hallway beside Hannah. “Can we use the computer please?”

Uncle Gabe looks up from the recipes he’s looking at and squints his eyes at them. “To do what?”

“Play dress up games,” Hannah lies easily. It has to be Hannah who lies because Uncle Gabe can always see right through Grace’s lies. Apparently she’s not very good at it.

Uncle Gabe chews his bottom lip a little bit but then shrugs. “Sure, but don’t do anything bad.”

“We won’t!” Grace yells over her shoulder as she skips into Dad’s room to get the laptop. She and Hannah climb up onto Dad’s big bed and turn the laptop on. She knows the password – beesknees – because Dad already told her what it is.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Hannah asks, tugging at a piece of her dark brown hair. Dad called Hannah’s mom before he left to go see Dean – Dean! – and asked if Hannah could sleep over. Mrs. Langman said it would be okay as long as she got plenty of sleep.

“Not at all,” Grace responds, pulling up google and typing in _Meg Novak_.

 

**~~*~~*~~*~~*~~**

 

Cas is starting to really reconsider how old he is. One second they’re watching the movie and the next, they’re kissing again. Honestly, they didn’t even make it five minutes once they’d finished eating. Cas smiles against Dean’s lips. They’re such teenagers.

“What are you smiling about?” Dean whispers between kisses.

Cas rakes a hand down the column of Dean’s back, loving the way Dean’s entire body arcs with the sensation. “You.”

Dean practically purrs at that, moving down to kiss and suck at Cas’s jaw. He’s stuck between wanting to let Dean ravish him in any way he wants or simply taking charge. He’s always been well, sort of commanding in the bedroom, and maybe he let that out a little too much last time, but he’s confident that he can reign it in this time.

Dean’s hands are a constant motion, one place at one moment and somewhere else the next. It’s as if he’s afraid that Cas will disappear if he doesn’t have proof that he’s right there. Cas’s free hand finds one of Dean’s resting over his hip – the one that’s inked in Enochian – and laces their fingers together. His thumb rubs small calming circles across Dean’s skin, silently telling Dean to relax.

Warm lips return to Cas’s, soft and plump against his own. His tongue licks across the seam of Dean’s lips, wordlessly requesting entrance. Dean’s lips part and the kiss deepens. It’s as if Cas is on fire, pure electricity is running through his veins, igniting him in the best possible way.

They break for air when it becomes too much, when the burn in their lungs is worse than the thought of not being connected. Behind them, the movie plays on.

“Dean,” Cas says, almost surprised at how deep and gravely his voice is. Did he swallow rocks or something? Dean hums against Cas’s cheek, scratching him slightly with his stubble. “I’d like to fuck you on your couch.”

Straight and direct. Well, maybe not exactly straight. Cas puts all his cards on the table, this way Dean has ample opportunity to decline or accept. Cas expects full consent from his partners, anything less and he refuses to do anything with them. The last thing he wants to be a part of is rape.

Dean’s pupils blow wide with lust, his breath hitches, and his fingers tighten around Cas’s. The only sound he seems capable of making is a moan. For now, Cas can accept that. Once they get to the real stuff, he’s going to need explicit vocal permission.

His fingers work deftly on unbuttoning Dean’s forest green over shirt, revealing a black tee underneath. Cas can’t help but run his hands over Dean’s chest and abdomen, taking in the muscle that’s hidden beneath his teacher clothes. _Thank god his students are only children, or else I’d have to fight them for Dean._

“Are you just gonna sit there feeling me up or are you gonna do something?” Dean asks. Cas looks up, caught in his wandering thoughts, and sure enough Dean’s sporting a cocky grin. Bastard.

“Oh, trust me, Dean,” Cas says, the words rolling off his tongue coated in seduction. He pushes Dean against the back of the sofa and moves to straddle him. “I will definitely be doing _something_ very soon.”

Without wasting any more time, Cas motions for Dean to shrug out of his over shirt and once he’s completed that task, lifts the hem of Dean’s under shirt up and over his head. The sight of the pentagram on Dean’s pectoral throws Cas off. Did Dean have that before?

Dean must catch him staring because he takes Cas’s hand and leads it to the marking. “It’s an anti-possession tattoo. ‘Sposed to keep me safe.” Dean winks, rubbing his thumb over Cas’s knuckles. “Me and Sammy both got them.”

“Sammy and I,” Cas mutters.

Dean barks out a laugh and squeezes Cas’s hand. “You little shit,” he says endearingly. “I thought I was supposed to be the teacher.”

Cas cocks an eyebrow. “So you’re into roleplaying, Mr. Winchester?”

Dean flushes, the tips of his ears turning red. But his breath hitches and his eyes widen. A bell rings in Cas’s mind. Kink found.

“You like it when I call you Mr. Winchester?” he whispers with a roll of his hips. “Does it make you all flustered inside?” Dean nods, rolling his hips back to meet Cas’s. “Words Dean, I need words.”

Dean licks his lips, his bright green eyes super glued to Cas’s own. “Yeah, Cas, I like it.”

“Oh,” Cas fake pouts. “You only like it.”

“No,” Dean’s quick to object. “I love it, Cas.” Dean looks down for a moment and then looks up through his eyelashes. “Love it, Daddy.”

Cas’s breath hitches and he nearly chokes on air. There’s no way in hell he just heard Dean correctly. There’s no way that Dean just called him Daddy. No way. Not at all.

Dean smirks up at Cas, sliding his fingers up and down the sides of his torso. He lifts the hem of Cas’s shirt and inspects his sigil tattoo.

“What’s this, Daddy?”

This time Cas really does choke on air. He splutters, his entire face turning bright red, and he would scramble off of Dean if the other man wasn’t holding onto his hips in a vice grip.

“It-it’s a sigil. Protection.” That’s all he manages to get out and that better be enough for Dean.

It must be because Dean merely shrugs and says, “Cool,” before leaning forward and capturing Cas’s lips with his own. They kiss for a few more moments, deepening and then pulling back. Cas sheds his shirt and then presses his bare chest against Dean. The other man is like a furnace to Cas’s chilled skin.

Dean’s strong arms wrap around Cas, bringing him closer to Dean’s warmth. Cas presses a kiss to Dean’s shoulder, mouthing gently at the dip of his neck. What he really wants to do is suck, make a mark that Dean can wear. Mark Dean as his.

But he can’t. Dean works with children. Besides, what if Grace saw that? It would be a very interesting dinner conversation that night.

Laying here in Dean’s arms, Cas is more comfortable than he’s been all week. He can only compare it to hugging Grace after not seeing her for hours. Not that he wants to be thinking about his daughter too much before sex.

“Daddy, I’m horny,” Dean says after a while.

Cas isn’t sure if he’s holding back a laugh or a moan at this point. Probably both.

“Alright, Mr. Winchester,” he fires back, loving the way Dean’s body seems to rise every time he uses that name. “I’ll take care of you.”

He trails his hand slowly down Dean’s torso until he reaches the top of his jeans and his fingers pop the button and pull down the zipper. Dean’s arms slide down to his hips, keeping him steady on Dean’s lap. With a roll of his hips, he already has Dean tightening his hold. They manage to shed Dean’s jeans and toss them over the back of the couch without ever separating.

“You look so nice, Mr. Winchester,” Cas teases, his hand hovering over Dean’s growing bulge. “Such a shame to take off all your clothes.”

Dean grunts, or at least that’s what Cas takes it as. He guides the other man into a lying down position with his head on the arm of the couch. Dean follows easily, his green eyes never leaving Cas’s own.

“I’m going to pleasure you, Dean,” Cas says, making Dean’s eyelids fall ever so slightly. “But _do not come._ ”

With that, Cas straddles Dean’s shins and promptly slips down the other man’s boxers. Dean’s hot and heavy, his erection straying towards Castiel. He licks his lips and dives in, enveloping only the tip into his mouth. Dean moans, his hand flying out and grabbing onto Cas’s hair.

Cas gives an experimental twist of his tongue, earning himself a tug of his hair. So naturally, he does it again. And again.

“So good, Daddy, keep going,” Dean sighs. Cas takes him in deeper, all the way until his nose is settled against Dean’s groin. Who said that there aren’t any pros to having no gag reflex?

Cas sets a rhythm, bobbing a few times just to pop off and lick a long stripe from base to tip. Dean seems the most sensitive around the head, so that’s where Cas gives the most attention. He can feel the tremors in Dean’s thighs, the slight signals that he’s starting to lose control.

“Remember, Mr. Winchester,” Cas says with a pop. “No coming yet.”

Dean nods, his bottom lip swollen bright red from being bitten. Cas runs his fingertips up and down Dean’s thighs, slowly massaging and kneading the muscles. The tremors lessen until they’re almost gone.

Patting the bottom of Dean’s legs in a silent signal for him to help lift them, Cas pushes the limbs upward so that Dean can hold them. This position exposes him completely, which is exactly was Cas needs.

“Cas, what are you – oomph.”

Cas settles back into the couch cushions, inclines his neck, and licks a long stripe from Dean’s scrotum to his hole. The action silences the man mid-sentence, his words dissolving into a long moan as Cas laps at him.

God, he hasn’t done this in years. Since way before he met Meg after college. A small part – really large part – of him is pleased that it’s Dean who he’s doing it for.

He settles further into the couch, relaxing into the cushions as he opens Dean slowly with his tongue. He’s a little rusty from not having done this for years, but he’s by no means unskilled. Dean certainly seems to be enjoying himself if his squirming and bitten back moans mean anything.

“You’re so good for me, Mr. Winchester,” Cas murmurs against Dean’s skin. “So good.”

It isn’t until Dean’s cock is throbbing with the need to come and his hole is slightly stretched that Cas pulls back. There’s saliva on his chin and he’s sure his hair is a complete mess, but Dean’s still looking at him as if he hung the moon. Cas hopes he looks at Dean that way.

“I-I’m ready, Cas.”

Cas hums, pulling Dean’s legs back down so that he’s lying in the V of Dean’s body. Dean’s legs automatically wrap around Cas’s waist.

“Lube?”

“I don’t need it,” Dean whines.

Cas huffs a laugh, leaning down and pecking a kiss onto Dean’s bare chest. “Oh, yes you do. I didn’t stretch you that much.”

“Cas, c’mon.”

“Dean,” Cas says, this time more authoritative. “I am not going to have sex with you unless you’re properly prepared.” He lowers his voice, rubbing soothing circles into Dean’s hips. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

Dean bites his lip, his eyes clouded in thought. Cas stands by what he said, he refuses to hurt Dean. “Bedside top drawer. Lube and condoms. Be back in twenty seconds or I’m starting without you.”

Before the words are even over Cas is out of Dean’s hold and racing for the bedside table in Dean’s room. He finds them and almost runs straight into the doorway in his haste to get back to Dean. God, what is this, his first lay? _Tone it down, Castiel!_

He walks calmly back to the living room, only to be frozen in his tracks. Dean’s lying there on the couch with at least two fingers up his ass. Without proper lubricant.

“Dean,” Castiel breathes. Dean looks up with a cocky grin.

“You took longer than twenty seconds.”

A wide dominating smile works its way across Cas’s lips. Where has this man been his entire life?

Gravitating towards the couch, Cas sheds his slacks, underwear, and socks, pulling the articles off slowly in an attempt to give Dean a show.

“I could teach you,” Dean mutters, still stretching himself.

“Teach me what?”

Dean pushes a third finger in and Castiel winces. Doesn’t that hurt? “How to strip sexily.”

A blush works its way across Cas’s cheeks. He thought he _had_ been doing it sexily.

“I hated being a stripper, but god, does it have its perks,” Dean tells him, his mouth slightly open at the pleasure he’s giving himself.

Cas kneels down at the bottom of the couch and watches Dean’s fingers work. Uncapping the bottle of lube, he squeezes some onto his fingers and bats Dean’s hand out of the way.

“You can teach me next time,” Cas says, replacing Dean’s fingers with his own. Dean’s eyelids slip closed and he sighs, content.

He’s ready within minutes, his fingers gripping around Cas’s shoulders. Cas takes the hint, pulling out his fingers – which earns him a whine from Dean – and rolling on the condom. He braces himself against Dean’s hole, watching as it puckers in front of him.

“Are you ready, Mr. Winchester?”

“Yeah,” Dean breathes, locking eyes with Cas. “Fuck me, Daddy.”

That does it. Castiel slams in to the hilt, reveling in the way both their moans echo around each other and intertwine in the space between them. After giving them both a few moments to adjust, Cas pulls almost all the way out and slams back in.

“C’mon Cas,” Dean encourages. “Faster. _Harder._ ”

Cas picks up the pace, not ready to disappoint Dean. They move in tandem with each other; breathing the same air, thinking the same thoughts.

Dean hooks his legs around Cas’s hips, driving himself closer in grinding figure eights. Cas is minutely aware of his legs shaking, but all he can think about right now is _Dean_. How a thin sheen of sweat is forming on his forehead, how his eyelids are drooping in pleasure, how the bow of his lips is accentuated when he bites down on his bottom lips. He’s beautiful. God dammit, Dean Winchester is beautiful on the inside and the outside.

“C-can I ride you, Daddy?”

Cas shivers, nodding his head enthusiastically. Dean flips them around on the couch – who knew he was so freaking strong? – and then Dean’s legs are straddling Cas’s thighs and he’s sinking down even lower on Cas’s cock.

“Ride me like a cowboy, Mr. Winchester,” Cas teases, getting a laugh out of Dean. Nonetheless, Dean does as he’s told. Cas closes his eyes against the sensations, allowing himself to feel instead of see. Dean’s hand travels down his forearm and entwines with his fingers. Cas’s eyes snap open.

They’re not exactly fucking, nor are they just having sex. But neither are they making love. The hand holding, that’s not what Cas was expecting. He’s not against it, if anything he’s completely on board. It’s just so out of context with what they’re doing.

“Is this okay?” Dean whispers.

Cas looks down at their linked fingers and notices how nice they look together. They complement each other perfectly. He looks up and smiles at Dean. “Of course.”

They carry on that way with their hands interlocked, Cas occasionally rubbing circles with his thumb.

All too soon, he can feel his climax approaching. Dean must be feeling the same way because his speed picks up and Cas is being slammed into the cushions. _I’m definitely getting rug burn on my ass._

Dean’s free hand kneads into Cas’s chest, his fingers scraping against the skin. “God, Cas, ‘m close.”

“Me too.”

Cas wraps his free hand around Dean’s hip and aids him in grinding down on his cock. He’s so close, so freaking close. He can feel himself getting closer and closer to the edge. He’s practically on the horizon.

“Come for me, Dean. _Now._ ”

And he does.

Cas soon follows, filling the condom with his seed. Dean comes all over both their chests, getting both of them sticky. He’s too tired to care.

Dean collapses down on top of Cas, his breathing heavy and eyelids squeezed shut. They’re still holding hands.

After a while, who knows how much time has passed, Dean starts to squirm. “Pull out, Cas.”

“Sorry.” Cas guides Dean’s hips upward and slips out. He ties off the condom and tosses it onto his pile of clothing. Dean collapses back down and nuzzles his face into Cas’s shoulder. His breathing evens out after a few minutes and Cas assumes he’s fallen asleep. That is, until he speaks.

“I like you,” Dean confesses.

Cas smiles, running his free hand through Dean’s short dirty blonde hair. “I like you, too.”

 

**~~*~~*~~*~~*~~**

The sight of Castiel Novak asleep in Dean’s bed is more precious than Dean ever could have thought. The contrast of his messy raven black hair against the white pillow case is stunning, enough to make Dean stop and stare on his way to bed. He’d been finishing brushing his teeth and sent Cas to bed before him.

Cas chose the same side that he had the last time. Dean’s heart melts as he climbs in under the blankets and wraps his arms around Castiel. He presses a kiss to the back of the other man’s neck and closes his eyes.

“Hey, Dean?”

Apparently Cas _is_ awake. “Yeah?”

“We can’t call each other Mr. Winchester and Daddy anymore or we’re never going to be able to function in our daily lives again.”

Dean smiles against Cas’s neck, placing another kiss. “Agreed.”

 

**~~*~~*~~*~~*~~**

 

Grace doesn’t notice the tears rolling steadily down her face until Hannah’s pushed her so hard she can’t see the laptop screen anymore, can’t read any more of the words.

“Grace!”

The words are distant to her, nothing more than ripples on the surface of the water while she’s at the bottom of the ocean. The words of the article rebound in her head, flash across her eyes, and echo in her ears. Meg Novak is a terrible, _terrible_ person.

And poor Daddy! He had to live with her! Grace lets out a bracketing sob, crying out into the room and falling forward onto the mattress. She should have never looked up who Meg is, she should have listened to her daddy.

The truth is a cold and terrible thing.

“Grace!” Huh, that doesn’t sound like Hannah. But she could be wrong. After all, she’s sobbing into the duvet right now. A hand settles on her back, one that’s much too large to be Hannah’s. She squints open her eyes and sees Uncle Gabe. His golden eyes are full of concern, his lips moving but Grace can’t hear the words.

“Wha?” Grace thinks she asks, but she can’t hear. Everything’s spinning around her and her head just feels so heavy. The world turns to darkness as a hand cushions the back of her head.

 

**~~*~~*~~*~~*~~**

“You’re not going to be happy.”

The smile from being with Dean all night slips right off Cas’s lips, instead replaced with frigid fear. “What happened?” Cas pushes through the his brother’s lame attempt of being a doorway jam and looks around. Everything seems to be normal. “Gabriel, why am I not going to be happy?”

Gabe looks down at the ground, the wall, the ceiling, everything except for Castiel.

“BecauseGraceknowsaboutMeg,” he says quickly.

“What? Speak slower!”

Gabe takes a long, drawn out breath and nods reassuringly, assumedly to himself. “Because Grace knows about Meg.”

Cas’s face falls slack. No. He must have heard Gabe wrong, he must have. But when he sees the pain and sorrow written clearly in Gabe’s golden eyes, a piece of Cas’s soul breaks. He slides down into one of the kitchen chairs and lets his face fall into his hand.

“How much does she know?” Cas whispers.

Gabe sits in a chair next to him, resting a sturdy palm on his back. “She found the article from _The Boston Globe._ ”

“Shit.” Cas pinches his nose, taking a deep breath of his own. Cas remembers panicking after reading that article; it was much too vivid. And now Grace has read it and oh, Cas is such a bad parent. He should have prevented this somehow. Grace shouldn’t have found out yet, not until she’s much older. But it’s too late, she already knows.

“Where is she?” Cas asks.

Gabe swallows, staring holes into the kitchen table. “She’s sleeping right now. I let her and Hannah both take your bed since it’s so big for them.” Gabe looks up at Cas then, his eyes big and glossy. “Grace passed out at one point and I was about to call you but then she was coming to and she made me promise not to call you. She didn’t want to bother you when you were with Dean.”

Cas feels as if he’s being repeatedly punched in the stomach.

Gabe huffs a laugh. “I think her exact words were, ‘I’ve spent way too long getting them to love each other, ‘m not interrupting their date.”’

Despite his immense concern for his daughter, Cas still manages a slight smile. He doesn’t deserve Grace; she’s much too good for him.

Gabe makes him coffee while they wait for Grace and Hannah to wake up. They talk about last night. Cas knows Gabe is using Dean as a distraction, but he lets it happen. Gabe insists on meeting Dean soon, and Cas complies. Why not?

About an hour later, Grace and Hannah shuffle into the kitchen. Neither girl looks like she got a good night’s sleep. Grace’s eyes ignite when she spots Cas and she runs up to him. Cas holds out his arms and Grace jumps up onto his lap and squeezes him, burying her face in his chest.

“I love you, Daddy,” she whispers. “I love you so much.”

“I love you, too, angel,” Cas whispers back. “More than anything.”

Grace sniffles into the fabric of Cas’s shirt, but he couldn’t care less. “Let’s never talk about Meg again.”

“Never again, angel,” Cas whispers into her bed head. “Never again.” He doesn’t know if he’s making a promise to her about never mentioning Meg again or never letting it happen to her again. Either way, his promise stands.


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING! There is discussion of infanticide in this chapter. If this is triggering, then please see the end notes before reading this chapter where I can both tell you what happens and where to skip.

Crowley slams his phone down onto his desk in a fit of rage. That goddamn _bitch_. How dare she play him along like some pawn to her fucking game. When there is a plan, all members of the party _should stick to the bloody plan!_

“Fucking Meg,” Crowley growls to himself. “Fucking bitch.” She’s staying in Iowa for a while longer, after she’d told Crowley weeks ago that she’d be here in bloody Kansas by now. Watching over Castiel is like trying to prevent a kettle from boiling while it’s perched over a flame. It’s bloody impossible and exhausting.

“Stick to the bloody plan!” Crowley roars. No one hears him.

Fine, Crowley will listen to Meg, if only because she has the power to eradicate him. This better all be worth it.

 

**~~*~~*~~*~~*~~**

 

“Daaaadddddd!”

Cas groans and rolls over in bed. He buries his head into the pillow and pulls up the blanket to cover his face.

“Daddy!” There’s the tell-tale dip in the bed signifying Grace’s arrival. “Wake up!” The bed bounces beside Cas, shaking him. He groans again, clutching the blanket tighter. “Daddy, no, you can’t go back to sleep!”

“It’s bed time,” Cas grumbles. It’s a lie, obviously, since it’s probably about eight AM.

“It’s playtime!” Grace squeals, pulling at the blanket that covers Cas’s face. “C’mon Daddy, we gotta go LARPing with Dean!”

At the sound of Dean’s name, Cas perks up slightly. They’d promised Dean and Charlie that they would be handmaidens with him this Saturday. Nonetheless, Dean’s name isn’t enough to make Cas want to get up. He may or may not have been talking to Dean on the phone until four AM.

Grace sits on Cas’s back, still tugging at the blanket. “We need ta leave in three hours!”

Cas giggles quietly. “Wake me up in two hours then.”

A new voice joins the conversation. “Cassie,” Gabriel sing-songs. “Time to go and see your boyfriend.”

“He’s not my boyfriend,” Cas grumbles under his breath before throwing the blanket off his face and taking in gulps of much needed air. Grace is sitting above his hip and grinning at him. The early morning sunlight filters in from between the blinds and illuminates her. Her golden hair shines as if surrounded by a halo. She looks like an angel. _She is one_ , Cas tells himself.

“I made breakfast,” Gabe tells him. “Also, Grace begged me –” “I did not!” “–to come with you guys and meet Dean-o, so I’ll be going with you.”

Cas smirks, ruffling Grace’s hair. “I believe you, baby,” he whispers to her. “And Gabe, of course you’re always welcome to accompany us.”

Gabe winks and then walks out of the bedroom, leaving Grace sitting on Cas’s side. “Okay.” Grace gets up off of Cas and jumps around the bed. “You still gotta wake up, Daddy!”

Cas rolls his eyes playfully. “I _am_ getting up.” How do children have so much energy? And so early in the morning, too.

Twenty minutes and a lot of pulling later, Cas shuffles into the kitchen followed by Grace. “Look who decided to get up,” Gabriel remarks.

Cas snorts and sits down at the kitchen table, yawning as Gabriel sets down a mug of coffee in front of him. He utters a thank you and wraps his tired hands around the warmth of the mug. Grace scurries onto the chair opposite of Cas’s, slurping orange juice through a straw. She watches him, her eyes seemingly everywhere all at once.

“What’s up, sweetie?” Cas asks.

Grace shrugs, her eyes still locked onto him. The staring is off-putting, but then again, Cas probably was the one who taught her it. He tries not to focus on it.

It doesn’t work. Two hours later and Grace is still watching him, albeit more discreetly now. Even Gabriel has noticed, occasionally looking in the rearview mirror from the passenger seat to catch Grace staring at Cas.

She’s never really done this, not since she was a child, not since before she could talk.

“Are you alright?” Gabriel asks, completely turning around in the passenger seat to look at her. Cas glances in the mirror to see her eyes flick to her uncle before he returns his gaze to the road.

“Of course,” Grace says. None of them say anything after that, instead choosing to spend the rest of the short drive in silence. The costumes they’ll be wearing are already at the park, so they’ll be showing up in their normal attire.

Cas finds a parking spot fairly close to the section of the park reserved for LARPing and they all head over. Unlike last time, Cas isn’t covered in sweat and low key worried that someone will steal his and his daughter’s bikes. Also unlike last time, he’ll be able to sneak glances at Dean’s ass without feeling _too_ creepy.

“I can feel the nerdiness rolling off this place in waves,” Gabriel comments.

Grace slugs him in the side, not powerful enough to hurt. “Be nice, Uncle Gabe!”

Gabriel puts his hands up in mock surrender and laughs. “Alright, little lady. Don’t wanna get hurt too badly while I’m here.”

As they walk through the entrance to Moondoor Cas says, “Behave you two or we’ll get kicked out.” Both of the other Novaks quiet then, sharing mischievous smiles. The mass of people around them gets thicker the farther they venture into Moondoor and soon Grace is grabbing at Cas’s hand for reassurance.

“It’s alright, love,” Cas tells her. He ruffles her hair with his free hand and makes her giggle. It’s as they’re passing a group of elves that a brunette with her hair in an elaborate bun walks up to them.

“Are you Queen Grace?” the lady asks, bending slightly so that Grace doesn’t have to look up as much. A wide magical smile etches across Grace’s lips and her eyes light with excitement.

“Yes! Who are you?”

The lady smiles, her pale pink lips pressed together elegantly. “I am Queen Dorothy, wife of Queen Charlie.” Oh, so this is Charlie’s wife? Well, she certainly isn’t wearing a sweatshirt and jeans to this LARPing session. She’s dressed in a long deep red gown with black lace trimmings. She looks just like a queen. “And I welcome you to Moondoor.”

Grace squeals, most likely from excitement overload.

“If you follow me,” Queen Dorothy goes on. “I will lead you to my quarters where your new dressings will be.”

They follow her to Charlie’s – and Cas assumes hers as well – tent, Grace holding onto Dorothy’s hand instead of Cas’s. He’s alright with that; Grace is much more excited than he can probably handle anyway.

Inside the tent, Charlie and Dean are bickering over which Harry Potter movie is better.

“It’s totally Half-Blood Prince,” Charlie argues, smoothing out her outfit in front of the mirror. “Snape’s big reveal at the end is a total game changer.”

“Nuh-uh,” Dean says from her bed, sitting on the edge already dressed. “Order of the Phoenix beats all of ‘em. Sirius Black is killer in that one.”

“Actually,” Gabriel interrupts. “I think Goblet of Fire trumps both of yours. Dragons, mermaids, Mad Eye Moody. Enough said.”

Cas closes his eyes and mutters, “I can’t believe I’m relate to you.”

Dorothy seems to break the tension in the room by clearing her throat and gesturing towards Grace. “I present to you, Queen Grace.”

Grace blushes, hiding the side of her face in Dorothy’s dress. Dean’s off the side of the bed in an instant, crouched down beside Grace and smiling at her. “You wanna get changed into your LARPing outfit? Charlie – Mrs. Bradbury, sorry – made it for you.”

“Yeah!” Grace grabs onto Dean’s hand and lets him lead her to the other secluded part of the tent, presumably where they’re going to be changing. Dean pops out a moment later while Grace is still in there. He walks over to Cas and wraps him in a hug, Cas immediately losing himself in the embrace. It’s been so long since he’s been able to hold the other man.

They’ve had to be extra careful at school to be as platonic as possible. Principal Mosely’s been keeping an eye on them, but according to Dean she hasn’t said anything to him yet. Cas just doesn’t want to ruin Dean’s job.

He pulls away from Dean, inwardly pleased when the other man’s arms tighten around him. “Dean,” Cas says, cocking his head in Gabriel’s direction. “This is my brother Gabriel, he insisted on coming today to meet you.”

Dean’s lips open slightly around an “oh” before he releases Cas and seemingly notices Gabriel’s presence for the first time.

He walks over and offers a hand. “Dean Winchester,” he says. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Gabriel takes the hand, albeit with a hint of amusement in his eyes. Cas swears to all that is holy, if Gabriel has a trick up his sleeve for today he will smite his brother where he stands. “I would say all good, I hope, but then I’d be lying.”

Charlie attempts to stifle a laugh, but fails epically and ends up snorting into her fist.

Dean smirks, taking his hand back. “I know you have one hell of a sweet tooth and Grace is fond of it.”

Gabriel shrugs, pride set in his shoulders. “What can I say? The little squirt loves me.”

“Daddy!” Grace yells from the secluded part of the tent. “Help me with my dress!”

Cas nods toward his daughter. “That’s my cue, I’ll be back.”

Hopefully Gabriel isn’t too hard on Dean. He still remembers when Gabriel put itching powder in his first boyfriend’s pants. There wasn’t a second date. Cas didn’t talk to Gabriel for over two weeks after that incident. Maybe Gabe’s matured at least somewhat since when he was in high school. A little bit.

Cas walks into the secluded section to find Grace’s arms askew and the head hole of her dress stuck at the crown of her head, strands of golden hair popping out at odd angles.

“Grace,” Cas stifles a laugh. “How did you do this to yourself?”

Grace harrumphs, probably glaring at him from under the fabric. “I don’t know, just help me, Dad!” Cas manages to get her head through the slot, although her hair is a lost cause. Perhaps Charlie can fix it for her. Cas has never been very good with hair, the highlight of his skill being a loose and poorly put together French braid. Once Grace’s head is situated her arms are much easier to get fully through the sleeves.

“You look beautiful, Grace,” Cas tells her. Her dress matches Dorothy’s perfectly, if made for a less curvy and more youthful figure.

Grace blushes and twirls around. The skirt of the dress flows around her, a sea of deep red. “That’s Queen Grace to you, Daddy.”

Cas shakes his head, a smile on his lips. Grace jumps in front of him, still twirling her skirt around her. “You gotta put on your costume, too.” She grabs his hand and leads him to a chair with a few folded items on it. “These are yours. You gotta put ‘em on!”

“I will, baby,” he tells her.

“Do it now!”

Cas cocks an eyebrow. “I wouldn’t be abusing your power, Queen Grace, or else we’ll be going back home.”

Grace pouts and folds her arms in front of her. “’M sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Cas says. He crouches down and smooths down a ruffle in the bodice of Grace’s dress. “Do you wanna go ask Queen Charlie or Queen Dorothy to fix up your hair for you?”

Grace nods and skips out of the room, still twirling her skirt around her legs. She really does look beautiful. Cas sighs and starts to strip. From what he can see of the articles of clothing on the chair, they’re very similar to Dean’s outfit. Which by the way, can still make a grown man weep.

He dresses quickly and inspects himself in the full body mirror. He doesn’t look nearly as good as Dean does, but the fabric of the shirt does stretch nicely around his arms. He shrugs and gathers his and Grace’s other clothes and folds them lest they get all wrinkly.

When he walks out he sees Grace sat on the bed and Dean’s hands in her hair. Cas deposits the folded clothes onto a table next to the bed and cocks his head.

“You do hair?”

Dean looks up and blushes. God, Cas can make him blush. “Lots of kids ask me to do their hair at school.”

“I can’t do hair for shit,” Charlie says. Grace gasps and furrows her eyebrows. “Sorry, sweetie. I can’t do hair for poop.”

Dorothy giggles, wrapping her arms around Charlie from behind and pressing a kiss to her cheek. “That’s why I do your hair for you, love.”

“So who’s going to do _my_ hair?” Gabe asks. Cas rolls his eyes. “And do I get a cool nerd outfit too or nah?”

Charlie shrugs. “I’m sure someone must have some extras, you’d have to ask around.”

It turns out that Boltar the Furious – Gerry – has an extra, but it comes with a price. He must have started bringing extras after he lost his shit when Cas and Grace weren’t wearing costumes. Twenty minutes later and Gabriel is serving out a one hour sentence in the stock.

Cas snaps a picture and the rest of them other than Charlie and Dorothy – they have other matters to attend to – run away giggling. Grace runs ahead of them heading towards a wooden sword making tent. It might not be the best idea to let Grace have access to a wooden sword, but Cas trusts her. And if she proves otherwise, then he’ll take it away and hide it in his closet.

Dean’s fingers graze against Cas’s. He looks over to see Dean looking pointedly ahead, most likely watching Grace. Cas huffs and grabs Dean’s hand with his own, entwining their fingers together.

“There’s no one here to tell us we can’t,” Cas whispers into Dean’s ear, reveling in the shiver that works its way up Dean’s spine. With a sudden flash of bravery, Cas plants a kiss to Dean’s cheek. He’s never been one for public displays of affection, but something about being with Dean makes him want to profess his love for the man to the world. And shit, that’s another thing. Cas shouldn’t love Dean, at least not yet, but he does. God dammit, he does.

Dean turns his head slightly, inclining his face towards Cas’s. They’re close, only a few molecules separating them. “And there’s no one stopping me from telling you that your pants fit you perfectly and mine are starting to feel a little tight.”

Cas’s eyes bug and he chokes on a laugh. “You’re such a pervert.” He pushes Dean away playfully, giggling when Dean pushes back.

“You like it,” Dean throws back, absorbing the blow of Cas’s push and redirecting it back at Cas. All too soon, they’ve stopped walking and are pushing at each other and laughing. Dean gets the upper hand over Cas, who absolutely refuses to believe that he could be overpowered by someone two years younger than him, adulthood be damned, and Cas slips on the dewy grass. In an instant decision, Cas clings to Dean’s chainmail and pulls him down with him.

The both of them collapse onto the ground, Cas serving as a pillow for Dean. He feels every bone stabbing into him. He may be able to handle Dean’s weight during sex, but there’s no adrenaline now, and fuck, Dean is _heavy_.

“Dean, get off of me,” Cas hisses, slapping at Dean’s side.

Dean smirks down at Cas, boxing his arms around Cas’s shoulders. He doesn’t get up, but he does put some of his weight on his forearms, alleviating the pressure on Cas’s body. “Admit it,” Dean demands.

“Admit what?”

“That you like me.”

Cas cocks his head to the side, probably getting dirt in his hair. “You already know that I like you.”

Dean rolls his eyes, still smiling. He leans down and hovers his lips over Cas’s. _C’mon, just kiss me!_ “I wanna hear you say it,” Dean whispers.

“I like you,” Cas whispers, leaning forward to meet Dean’s lips with his own. But being the _bastard_ that he is, Dean pulls back with a smirk.

“You gotta say it louder.”

Cas growls deep in his throat. “I like you.”

“ _Louder,_ ” Dean sing-songs.

“I like you, Dean Winchester!” Cas shouts, and then precedes to slam his lips against Dean’s before the other man can pull away again. Dean complies, kissing back just as passionately. Cas forgets where he is, that he’s on the dirty ground, and that he’s supposed to be following his daughter to a wooden sword making craft. All he remembers is the feel of Dean’s lips on his, the feel of his hair under his hand, and the give of Dean’s chest as Cas presses closer.

Someone clears their throat awkwardly and Cas feels a sharp pain in his side. Dean must have gotten kicked too because he rolls off of Cas. He opens his eyes to see a very highly irritated Boltar standing next to a smug looking Grace.

“They love each other,” Grace tells Boltar.

Boltar sneers. “Nonetheless, they should stop acting like teenagers and control themselves so they don’t lose their daughter.”

“Oh,” Cas interrupts. “She’s only –”

“Anyway,” Boltar says, speaking over Cas. “Take care of your kid.” Boltar turns around and walks away, leaving both Cas and Dean gaping at his back.

There’s silence for a few moments before Dean mutters, “Rude.”

 

**~~*~~*~~*~~*~~**

“My wrists _still_ hurt.”

“Stop whining, Gabriel.”

“But they do! Look, Gracie, do they seem a little red to you?”

Grace inspects Uncle Gabe’s wrists and yes, they are in fact a little pink, almost like a baby’s skin. She says so and Daddy laughs. How is that funny? Today’s been weird. First, she hasn’t been able to stop visioning Daddy stopping Meg from hurting her, which keeps causing her to zone out while staring at him. It’s been weeks since she found out about The Incident, but she still can’t get it out of her head. Then, there was the way Daddy and Mr. Winchester kept getting real close together. Not that that’s a bad thing, Grace _wants_ that to happen. But Boltar the Furious – why is he so mad? – called Mr. Winchester her daddy too, didn’t he? Why’d he do that if it’s not true? Grace wants it to be true.

And now Daddy’s laughing at something that’s not even funny. Grace just wants to take a nap.

“I’m gonna go to sleep,” she says.

Both Daddy and Uncle Gabe look at her weirdly. She doesn’t like it. Daddy’s forehead is all scrunched up and his head is tilted slightly. Grace mimics the gesture, just as confused as he is.

“Alright,” Daddy says eventually. “I’ll wake you up in a few hours.”

Grace nods and heads to bed, it’s been an exhausting day.

 

**~~*~~*~~*~~*~~**

_I’m in deep shit._

Dean stares at the incoming text message from Cas, silently questioning everything that’s led to this moment.

_Why?_

It takes a few minutes for Cas to respond. Dean’s about ready to call him when he gets the next text.

_Crowley is forcing me to work tomorrow night until late because taxes are due this weekend and Gabe is leaving for Boston tonight to attend a highly important meeting for his candy shop and I do not know what to do because I don’t know any sitters and_

There’s more, but Dean stops reading the message. He clicks on Cas’s contact and presses the call button. Cas picks up on the first ring.

“ _Dean._ ”

“I can babysit.”

“ _Dean, that’s too much, you know I can’t –_ ”

“Dude, don’t worry about it.” Dean worries his bottom lip, hoping he isn’t actually stepping over any boundaries. “It won’t be a problem. You need a sitter and I’ve got nothing to do on a Friday night except go for drinks with Charlie, but it’s her and Dorothy’s anniversary.”

There’s silence over the line for a few moments and Dean starts to worry that Cas hung up. He checks and nope, Cas is still there.

“ _Are you sure?_ ”

“Completely.”

 

**~~*~~*~~*~~*~~**

Life would be so much easier if Ms. Mosely wasn’t psychic. She’ll never admit it, but Dean’s onto her. He knows that she just somehow knows about him and Cas. She’s just waiting for the right moment to strike, he’s sure of it.

And it’s for that very reason that Dean is sweating in the middle of the Lawrence Elementary School lobby. He’d given the Impala’s keys to Grace so that she can wait for him in the car before going to her house. Since he obviously can’t just leave with her, their plan needs to be strategic. Unfortunately, the only down side to this plan is that Dean’s going to die of a heart attack worrying over the state of his Baby.

_What if she keys the side by accident? What if she turns the car on and somehow shifts it into neutral and it rolls and hits another car? What if it spontaneously combusts? What if –_

Dean squeezes his eyes shut. He needs to calm the fuck down.

By the time all the other kids have been picked up by their parents or guardians or have gotten on the bus, Dean’s all but sprinting to his car. Praise the Lord, it’s still intact and Grace is waiting patiently in the passenger seat.

“Now, you’re sure that you’re okay with me babysitting tonight?” Dean asks, getting into the driver’s seat and starting the car. He hadn’t gotten the chance to talk to her during the day, even though Cas had said that Grace was fine with the arrangement.

“Positive,” Grace smiles. “You can fill in for Daddy during tea time.”

“I can?” Dean turns to her and sees the excitement in her eyes. “Well, you might need to help me a bit. I haven’t had a tea party in years.”

They pull out onto the road and Dean lets out a sigh of relief. They’re off the hook. His shoulders relax back into seat and his arms lose some of the tenseness they had in the parking lot.

“Why were you so nervous?”

“Huh?” Dean refocuses back to the present. “Oh. Remember that talk we had on the phone when you found out that me and your dad like each other?”

Grace nods. “Uh-huh, and you said that I couldn’t go around telling people that you and Daddy are in love.”

_In love_. Dean pushes down any and all emotions that come with hearing those words. “Exactly. We need to keep it a secret, sweetie. Some people may not like that we’re together.”

“Why?”

Ah, the ever present _why?_ Dean’s heard this question enough times from students to last a life time. “Lots of reasons,” he tells her with a sigh. “For one, I’m your teacher and Cas is your dad; the school wouldn’t want to risk me treating you differently than my other students. Don’t worry, I treat you all the same.” They pass a bus and Dean feels the anxiety build in his chest. But no one pulls them over, so he guesses they’re okay.

“Cas said that he’s talked to you about sexualities, right?” Dean asks and Grace nods. “So you know that your dad is pansexual?” Another nod from Grace. “Well, I’m bisexual, which means that I like both girls and boys.” Very few people know this about Dean, and he likes it that way. The less people that know, the better.

“Some people don’t like that,” Dean says. “They think that boys should only like girls and girls should only like boys.”

“But you and Daddy love each other and neither of you is a girl,” Grace says, drawing Dean’s attention by how close her voice sounds. When did she get so close to him? She’s practically sitting in the middle of the car now.

“Those people aren’t right, Grace, they’re just scared. But when people are scared they can act out and people can get hurt. Now, people aren’t usually upset by two guys or two girls liking each other in Lawrence, but there are still some people. I just don’t want your dad to get hurt.”

“Me neither,” Grace says sadly.

Dean ruffles her hair with his right hand, keeping his left on the steering wheel. “Cheer up, kiddo, your dad’s okay. I won’t let anything happen to you guys.”

“Thanks, Dean,” Grace says. “I can call you Dean, right? We’re not really at school anymore.”

They pull into the apartment complex parking lot and Dean parks the car. “You can call me Dean as long as we’re not in the school building.”

“Yay!” Grace squeals, hopping out of the car and running to the front door of the complex. Cas stopped by Dean’s classroom this morning and gave him the key to the building and the apartment. It’s just temporary, just for today. But still, it makes Dean happy to have been given that trust.

Grace chatters excitedly about all the things they have in the apartment while they take the stairs to the third floor. Dean unlocks the door to their apartment and Grace all but drags him inside. The place is clean and smells like a mix of candles and candy, the latter most likely because of Gabriel. Dean holds back a smile, Gabriel’s a little tough on the outside but he seems like a cool person to be around.

“I wanna give you a tour!” Grace shouts, dropping her backpack onto the floor and running down a hallway. Dean’s quick to follow her, not knowing where he’s going.

She pops into a bright yellow room with a bright pink bed. Dean notices that there are blue hand prints that make the shape of a heart on the outside of the door.

“This is my room!” Grace tells him, jumping up onto the pink bed and bouncing a few times. “Me and Daddy painted it when we moved here and we put our hand prints on the door.”

There are a few stray art supplies and stuffed animals strewn throughout the room, but other than that it all seems organized. One stuffed animal – it looks like a guinea pig – sits front and center on Grace’s bed, nestled into the pillows. Grace must catch him looking at it because she grabs it and clutches it to her chest.

“This is Fredrick, my daddy gave him to me for my fifth birthday because we couldn’t afford to get a real one.”

So they don’t have pets either, but they want them too. Dean suddenly imagines getting a dog, or maybe even a guinea pig with Cas and Grace and he really needs to stop thinking about it or else he’ll –

“Do you like guinea pigs?”

Dean blinks away the day dream and comes back to reality. Grace is still clutching Fredrick – why did she name him Fredrick? – and looking at him expectedly.

“Of course.”

A smile bleeds across Grace’s lips. “Good, because my daddy loves guinea pigs.”

They make their way into Cas’s bedroom next. Dean feels a little guilty going in there without Cas present, but Grace is much too excited to be told no. The walls are still white and the bedding is a simple dark blue. The only picture in the room is of Cas and Grace sitting in an apple tree. Grace looks young, so it must have been back in Massachusetts.

Essentially, the room is barren, as if Cas barely even lives in here. Cas must be afraid to become attached. The truth of it hits Dean like a wave, taking him under. Cas is much more afraid of Meg than he thought.

“This is Daddy’s room,” Grace says, studying Dean’s expressions carefully. “This is where you’ll sleep soon.”

“ _What?_ ”

Grace cocks her head to the side. “Isn’t that what married people do? Don’t they sleep in the same bed?”

Dean can feel the blood rising to the skin on his face. He rubs the back of his neck, feeling just how hot it is to his touch. “Well, yeah, but we’re not married.”

“Not yet,” Grace clarifies before skipping out of the room. Dean looks around one last time, secretly envisioning himself lying next to Cas on the king sized mattress. But now’s not the time to fantasize about such things, he has a little girl to take care of.

 

**~~*~~*~~*~~*~~**

 

It’s already dark when Dean catches Grace looking out the windows. She’s looking for Cas. It isn’t as if the two of them haven’t been having fun; they’ve had a tea party, colored a few pictures in an Aladdin coloring book, ate mac n cheese, played hide and seek, and are now watching _The Fox and the Hound_. Dean swears he won’t cry this time, not like when he first saw the movie.

“When’s Daddy coming home?” Grace asks.

Dean checks his phone. No messages. “I don’t know, sweetie. He said he’d call when he’s leaving work.”

Grace pouts but it quickly turns into a yawn. It’s already seven o’clock, Dean muses that she probably goes to sleep around seven thirty.

“Are you getting tired?” Dean asks.

“Mmhmm,” Grace murmurs before yawning again.

“Alright, what do you do before going to bed?”

Grace yawns another time and snuggles into Dean’s arm where they’re sitting on the couch. She’s adorable.

“Daddy helps me take a bath and then I brush my teeth then put on my PJs and then Daddy reads me a bedtime story or makes one up all on his own – those are my favorite.”

Dean weighs his options. While he doesn’t really want to help Grace take a bath, he doesn’t want her to do it all alone for the first time without her father present.

“Which would you rather do,” Dean asks. He’ll give her choices. “Do all that but with me instead of your dad, at least until he gets home, or fall asleep on the couch watching _The Fox and the Hound?_ ”

Is it selfish that Dean kind of hopes she picks the former so that he won’t have to watch the sad part?

Grace hums and buries her head farther into Dean’s arm. After a little while she says, “The first one.”

“You wanna go take a bath and go to bed?”

“Yeah,” Grace yawns. “Daddy will be happier if I do that.”

“Okay.” Dean wiggles his arm until Grace sits up and then helps her to stand. “Let’s get you to the bathroom.”

He finds a few towels in the closet next to the bathroom and puts them atop the hamper. He goes to turn on the water, but is quickly reminded of how Cas had to ask how to use his shower the first time he was over. Dean might understand now, since he isn’t exactly sure how to operate Cas’s shower either.

“I’ll help,” Grace says and turns on the bath. She starts to pull at the hem of her shirt and that’s when Dean starts to panic. There’s no way in fucking hell he’s about to see one of his students naked.

“Wait, Grace,” Dean tugs the hem of her shirt back down and looks up at her from where he’s kneeling on the ground. “Do you have a bathing suit?”

Grace scrunches up her nose. “Yeah, but that’s for swimming, not for baths.”

Dean sighs and folds his hands in his lap. “I know, but I’m not your dad, so you need to keep some clothes on when you take a bath. Do you think you can go put it on and then come back and take a bath?”

Grace looks affronted by the idea of wearing her bathing suit in the bath tub but nods anyway. Dean checks the temperature of the water and finds it satisfying. Grace comes back a few minutes later in a light pink ruffled one-piece with a small black bow at the top. Dean can say with complete honesty that it is one of the cutest children’s bathing suits he’s seen in his entire life.

“Did Cas pick that out or did you?”

“I did,” Grace smiles. “But Daddy said I looked adorable.”

Dean laughs and beckons her forward. “You do, sweetie.”

Dean helps Grace over the ledge and into the tub, only getting a minimal amount of water on his shirt. Grace is quick to sink into the water, only her head free. Dean shuts off the tap and locates a bar of soap.

“How much does your dad help?”

“I do everything except wash my back because it’s hard to reach,” Grace says. “He usually sings songs to me.” Grace dips the back of her head into the water and wets her long wavy hair before grabbing a shampoo bottle and squeezing some into her hand. “Can you sing to me?”

Dean bites his lip. He hasn’t sung to anyone in a long time, not since his first year teaching. “What do you want me to sing?”

Grace lathers her hair in the shampoo until there’s a little soap bubble hat at the top of her head. “Surprise me.”

Dean runs through a list of songs in his head, but only one sticks out.

“ _Carry on my wayward son,_ ” Dean starts, singing the lyrics as a ballad instead of how they were originally compiled. “ _There’ll be peace when you are done. Lay your weary head to rest, don’t you cry no more._ ”

He keeps going with the song, Grace watching him intently. When he gets to the chorus for the third time she sings along with him, all bubbly and happy. God, he hadn’t realized how much he’s missed singing.

Grace claps her hands when he’s done singing, splashing the water everywhere. “Don’t tell Daddy,” she whispers. “But I think you sing even better than he does.”

Dean laughs, taking the praise without letting it get to his head. Well, maybe a little bit.

Grace finishes rinsing her hair and then grabs a bar of soap. She rubs her skin until all that’s left is her back. “Help, please.”

“I got you,” Dean assures her, taking the bar of soap out of her hands and rubbing the top of her back. There’s isn’t too much of her skin to clean since she’s wearing a bathing suit, but Dean figures that she’ll be okay not washing her _entire_ body for one night. He turns the tap back on to re-warm the water.

There’s a noise, almost like a strangled squeak, and then suddenly Dean’s being dragged away from the tub with a punch to his ribs. All the air leaves him in a rush before his instincts kick in. He’s about to fight back whoever’s attacking when he hears Grace scream, “Daddy, stop!”

Dean looks up and _holy mother of shit, that’s Cas. What the ever living fuck is going on?_ He doesn’t get time to dwell on it though, because soon he’s being thrown out of the bathroom and onto the carpet floor. Dean tries to get up but then Cas is sitting on his stomach and his hands are wrapping around Dean’s neck. Dean knows he can throw Cas off, he’s sure he’s stronger, but he’s in shock. Cas’s eyes are full of fear, the blue alight in flames.

It’s almost like that time at the grocery store when Cas thought Dean was a pervert, but this time the anger is infused with cold, frigid terror.

Grace comes out of nowhere, completely dripping wet and soaking the carpet underneath her. She jumps onto Cas and starts hammering him with her tiny fists. “Stop it, Daddy! Stop!” There are tears running down her face and she’s sobbing. Her distress must break through to Cas, because his fingers release from Dean’s neck.

“ _Daddy,_ ” Grace sobs. “ _Stop._ ”

Cas’s eyes are shifting around rapidly, going from Dean to Grace to the bathroom and back again. Something seems to register in his mind and then he’s shaking and his bottom lip is trembling and then _oh no_ , tears fill his eyes and he’s crying.

“I’m so sorry,” he whimpers before running away and locking himself in his bedroom. Dean’s left lying on the floor stunned. What the hell just happened?

Grace runs to Cas’s door and upon not being able to open it, she starts pounding on the door and crying. “Daddy, let me in! Daddy!”

The door stays shut as Grace continues to shout for her dad. Dean swallows. He may have no idea what’s going on but he knows that he needs to take care of Grace. Getting up slowly, he walks over to Grace and picks her up. She’s sobbing and screaming now, but Dean just carries her away from Cas’s room and brings her to her own. She fights against his hold, but he manages to prevent her from running back to Cas’s door.

He shuts the door behind him, partly in fear of Cas breaking in and freaking out at him and partly to keep Grace from running out quickly. He puts her down then goes through her closet and finds some pajamas.

“Stay here,” he tells her and then goes to find a towel. Cas’s door is still shut with no light coming from under it. He gets back to Grace’s room to find her crying quietly on the floor. He coos to her as he towels her dry, mind working on overdrive to try and process what the hell is going on.

When she gets into her pajamas he turns around and faces the door. After a few moments she turns him around and buries her face in his chest, crying hot, sticky tears into his shirt.

“Grace,” Dean says, shocked at how cracked his voice sounds. “Do you know what’s going on?”

Grace hiccups into his chest and grips his arms with her tiny hands. “I – I think this has to do with- with Meg.”

Dean’s spine runs cold at that and he hugs Grace closer to him. Her tears start to taper off soon enough out of exhaustion. Dean helps her into bed and tucks her in. She’s asleep before he has time to ask if she needs to be read to or anything.

Now with Grace handled he needs to go check on Cas and figure out what the fuck is going on and why he just got jumped. And there better be a _damn_ good reason.

Cas’s door is still shut when Dean shuts Grace’s, so he knocks gently. There’s a muffled noise from behind the door, but it isn’t opened.

“Cas,” Dean whispers loud enough so that he can be heard. “Grace is asleep, please talk to me.” There’s no sound of movement for a few moments so Dean sighs and leans against the door. “Cas, you owe me an explanation. Please let me in.”

There’s a creaking from the mattress and then there’s the click of the door being unlocked. Dean barrels into the room and finds Cas slumped over on the side of his bed staring at his hands.

He looks broken.

“Cas,” Dean tries to say, but the words won’t leave his lips. He stands unsure by the door before slowly walking forward and sitting next to Cas on the bed. “Cas, what’s going on in your mind right now?”

“That you hate me and I’m a terrible human being.”

Dean licks his lips and watches how Cas’s hands shake in the dark. “I don’t hate you.”

“You should,” Cas whispers.

“Castiel, just tell me what happened.”

Cas takes a deep breath which shakes on the exhale. Dean watches as a tear drops from his eye and lands on his hands. Dean forgets that he was just attacked by Cas and wraps the man in his arms. Cas collapses into him, his chest wracking with the effort to not sob, and Dean lets him, he lets himself be Cas’s rock for right now. He still wants answers but he needs to help Cas first.

Dean strips Cas of his jacket, over shirt, and slacks before lying him down atop the covers and embracing him again. Cas hides his face in Dean’s neck until the tears recede and his shaking is almost gone.

“Meg tried to drown Grace in the bathtub.”

Dean’s about to ask Cas what he’s talking about when it processes. Oh no. All those years ago when Cas walked in on Meg trying to kill Grace, she was trying to drown her in the bathtub. And now, six years later, Cas walks in on Dean helping Grace bathe and _shit._

“I’m so sorry,” Dean says, his voice thick with emotion. He can’t get the image of a blank faced woman pushing baby Grace into the water, he can’t seem to get the screams out of his ears.

Cas lifts himself upward and stares at Dean with horror. “Don’t say you’re sorry, Dean. Jesus Christ, you have nothing to be sorry for. You should be running for the hills right now…I can’t believe you’re still around me after that…after I –”

“Cas, you were panicking,” Dean cuts him off.

“All I could see was Meg with her hands around Grace and Grace’s blotchy red face under the water and the screaming was so clear in my ears and I could feel my heart pounding and just, god Dean, I’m so fucking sorry.” Cas falls back onto Dean and clutches him like a life line.

Dean rubs Cas’s back and arms, softly kissing the top of his head. “It’s okay, Castiel, it’s okay.”

“No it’s not okay, you hate me now,” Cas whimpers.

“I don’t hate you, Cas. I couldn’t hate you.” Dean closes his eyes and kisses Cas’s hairline once more. “Don’t leave me,” he whispers. “I can’t lose you.”

Cas tenses slightly in Dean’s hold. Dean opens his eyes, silently praying that this isn’t too soon, that it isn’t the wrong time.

The words can’t be taken back, and Dean doesn’t want them to be. “I can’t, Castiel. And I don’t care that you freaked out because you were trying to protect your daughter because I would have done the exact same thing if I was in your spot. And I don’t care that you think I hate you because I _don’t_ and I don’t think I ever could. And I don’t care that this is wrong and that we have to keep it a secret because god, I need you so goddamn much and I just don’t care.”

Cas’s blue eyes are rimmed with red and tears are steadily falling down his cheeks. It doesn’t matter, he’s still beautiful and he always will be to Dean. Always.

“I can’t lose you either, Dean,” Cas whispers. “I would be a mess without you holding me together.”

Dean relaxes into the mattress and lets himself breathe fully for the first time. His hand finds its way into Cas’s hair and he strokes through it, silently coaxing Cas to relax. They fall asleep that way, holding onto each other and their promises in the dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is discussed that Meg attempted to drown Grace, and that is what Cas had walked in on when Grace was one. Cas, walks in on Dean helping Grace bathe before bedtime and understandably freaks out. There is a short fight but then everything is resolved after Cas tells Dean about the incident with Meg. Dean is very understanding and does not blame Cas for freaking out at him. If you wish to skip that part, then please stop reading as soon Grace starts to take a bath. I would suggest not reading the very end of the chapter either, because the discussion is continued until the end.


	12. Chapter Twelve

Grace could scream from excitement. In fact, she does.

Dean rolls over in bed and yells, “Sam!” His eyes are frantically searching the room, all glossy from sleep. He spots Grace and his shoulders relax. Both Grace’s scream and the outburst from Dean cause Dad to spring up in bed, searching around for a problem.

Upon not finding a murderer in the room, Dad falls back onto the bed and promptly falls back to sleep. Why isn’t he sharing her excitement?

Dean still appears to be half asleep, but he at least manages words. “Grace, what’s wrong, sweetie?”

Grace beams and skips around the bed. “Nothing’s wrong, everything’s perfect!”

Dean mumbles a bit more and then seems to taper back into slumber. Grace runs back into her room and grabs a blanket before jumping onto Dad’s bed and curling up between Daddy and Dean. She leaves the blanket that’s over them underneath her so that she doesn’t wake them up from tugging on it.

It’s warm and wonderful and Grace couldn’t ask for anything else.

 

**~~*~~*~~*~~*~~**

 

Cas wakes up slowly, sensing a warmth by his side and snuggling closer to it. He’s still delirious from sleep, too tired to realize that he should be waking alone. He’s just starting to drift back into unconsciousness when the warmth shifts and rolls onto him. Wait, there are two sources of warmth.

Confused, and slightly scared, Cas blinks open his eyes. Above him, Grace is taking little breaths through her open mouth – fully asleep on Cas’s stomach. Beside him, the second source of warmth is Dean. Dean, who’s sleeping on his stomach with his head by Cas’s shoulder.

Dean, who should definitely not be here right now.

Anxiety builds in Cas’s chest, a raging elephant sitting over his rib cage. This isn’t good; this is not good for Grace. If something happens between him and Dean – _something already has, Castiel_ – and Grace becomes attached to this way of life, she’s going to get hurt. He’d destroy himself before he ever let that happen to her.

Forcing himself to wake up, Cas shakes Grace’s shoulder until her bright blue eyes are blinking up at him, still clouded by sleep. “Daddy?” she whispers.

“Good morning, Grace,” Cas whispers back.

Grace squints at him before closing her eyes and leaning her head back down onto his chest. “Go back to sleep, Daddy.”

He wants to obey, to go back to sleep and pretend that everything’s alright. He wants to so badly. But what if when Dean wakes he decides he doesn’t want to be near Cas any longer? That against what he said last night, he doesn’t need him. Cas knows he won’t be able to handle it, and that will only make Grace even more upset. This is exactly why Cas hadn’t let Dean stay over at his house with Grace here.

But then Dean starts to shift and his eyes open just barely enough for Cas to make out a sliver of green. Cas locks eyes with him, his breath stuttering in his throat. Dean grins lazily and snuggles closer to Cas, wrapping his arm around Cas’s shoulder and holding him tight to himself.

The domesticity of the action is what breaks Cas’s will in the end. He’s in bed with a man who, in such little time of knowing them, cares more than is probably healthy for both him and Grace, just sleeping on a Saturday morning and his daughter is lying on top of them.

He lets himself indulge in this, lets himself believe that everything is going to be okay. Soon Gabe will be back in Lawrence and it’ll be like a small family. A family that Cas can protect and keep safe.

When he looks back over to Dean, the man’s eyes are closed again and his breathing is even. Grace’s soft snoring has already surfaced, leaving Cas the only one awake at the moment. He takes a deep breath and closes his eyes before embracing the moment and diving into the unknown. For now, he’ll go back to sleep and let this be his small family.

 

**~~*~~*~~*~~*~~**

 

The sweet scent of chocolate chip pancakes tickles Dean’s nose and wakes him. He inhales a deep breath, but it only serves to tickle his nose even more. Upon opening his eyes to investigate, because it most certainly isn’t pancakes that are tickling him anymore but something very physical, Dean’s greeted by the sight of short dark black hair.

His first instinct being to panic, Dean’s breath catches and holds in his lungs. Dean lives very much alone, and there should not be a man in his bed and there should not be pancake smell in the air and he should not still be lying in said bed _and goddammit Dean, get up!_

Dean jumps out of the bed only to get his legs tangled in the blankets – and why the hell is he still wearing jeans? – and to fall onto his ass on the floor. His scream is definitely extremely manly.

The man in the bed sits up with a “Huh?” and then bright blue eyes are pinned on Dean. Oh, it’s Cas. The entire night comes rushing back to Dean; the babysitting, Cas’s freak-out, the aftermath, falling asleep clutched to Castiel, and then waking to Grace screaming.

“Dean,” Cas rumbles before collapsing back into the mattress. “Please do not injure yourself.”

“As if I’m trying to,” Dean quips under his breath, untangling his legs from the blankets before slipping back into bed with Cas.

Cas smiles up at him and presses a kiss to his nose. Dean will never admit it, but a piece of his heart melts every time Cas does that. Cas just looks so goddamn happy, the corners of his eyes crinkling and his lips turning up, exposing just the smallest amount of his teeth. Warmth surges through Dean’s chest at the sight.

“You’re gonna burn whatever it is you’re cooking,” Cas whispers while he noses at Dean’s ear.

“I’m not cooking anything.”

Cas pulls back and frowns at Dean in disbelief. His mouth is open as if he’s about to say something when his eyes flash and then he’s running out of the room. Dean, confused as hell, runs out after him and follows him into the kitchen.

Perched on a chair from the kitchen table is Grace flipping pancakes over the stove.

“Grace,” Cas sighs, rubbing a hand down his face. “We’ve talked about this. You’re not allowed to use the stove on your own.”

Grace pouts and continues pouring batter onto the pan. “But I wanted tah have pancakes for you and Dean when you woke up.”

“I know, baby, and thank you, but fire’s dangerous,” Cas says.

“And we don’t want you to get hurt,” Dean adds, ruffling her long blonde hair. “Shouldn’t this be tied back?”

Cas steps over and grabs a hair elastic out of nowhere. “I got it.”

“I thought you said you can’t do hair?”

“I can’t.”

Dean smiles to himself and takes the hair elastic out of Cas’s hands. “But I can.” He braids Grace’s hair down the back “Like Elsa,” Grace says.

“Yeah, sweetie,” Cas murmurs while Dean braids. “Like Elsa.”

Being with the two of them in their natural habitat, just being so domestic, it almost hurts. Dean’s always wanted a family, always wanted people to share himself with. Sammy’s great, and now they have Jess, who’s amazing. But this right here, a parent and a daughter, this is what Dean’s always secretly wanted.

“Are you going to live with us now, Dean?” Grace asks suddenly. Dean pauses with his hands still in Grace’s hair and Cas starts where he’s leaning against the kitchen counter.

“Baby –”

“Please?” Grace twists in Dean’s hold. “You make Daddy so happy. Please come live with us!”

Dean’s dealt with situations like this before. Once, one of his students was screaming for Dean to come live with him and his parents. However, Cas probably hasn’t dealt with this before if the mortified look on his face is anything to go by.

“I’d love to, Queen Grace,” Dean says. “But I already have a house and I wouldn’t want to intrude on you and your dad.”

Grace squints up at him and cocks her head to the side – just like her father. “What does intrude mean?”

“Hmm,” Dean thinks aloud. “I think it means to get in the way.”

“But you wouldn’t be in the way! You’d be my second Daddy!” At this, Cas literally chokes on air. Dean – hands still tied up in Grace’s hair – sends out a concerned look but Cas recovers quickly.

“You already have a Daddy,” Dean says softly.

Grace harrumphs but doesn’t say anything else. Cas’s hand comes to rest on Dean’s upper arm and he stills. Looking away from Grace’s hair and over at Cas, Dean isn’t sure what to expect. Cas’s eyes are soft and meaningful; thankful. _You’re welcome_ , Dean mouths back.

Noting only now that Cas is standing around in just his underwear, Dean takes the moment to fully check the man out. Cas catches him, of course he does, and sends a heated glare at Dean. It’s only when Dean mouths the word _underwear_ that Cas looks down and his entire chest reddens. He excuses himself and comes back in an AC/DC t-shirt and gray sweatpants just as Dean’s tying Grace’s hair off.

When Grace’s hair is finished, she goes back to cooking pancakes, insisting that she can do it on her own. Nonetheless, Dean and Cas both stay in the kitchen with her. Cas holds Dean’s hand on top of the table and little butterflies flutter in Dean’s stomach. God, could he sound any more like a teenager?

Dean probably shouldn’t still be here, it probably isn’t good for Grace to see her teacher sleeping at her house, but he can’t seem to make himself leave. Cas looks happy to have him here and so does Grace. Why leave?

“Breakfast’s ready!” Grace exclaims a few minutes later, putting plates of chocolate chip pancakes in front of Dean and Cas. She grabs a seat between them and starts munching away, occasionally looking up happily at the both of them.

Grace’s bright blue eyes sparkle and she smiles around the food in her mouth. She spots their interlocked hands and positively beams. Dean’s seen that smile on her face before. Right before she interrogated him on whether he’s in love with Cas.

 

**~~*~~*~~*~~*~~**

 

_They’re in love!_

Grace is practically vibrating in her seat trying not to scream from excitement. Daddy and Dean are in love and they’re going to get married and Grace will be the flower girl – Daddy said so – and then they’ll go on a honey moon to space and bring Grace and then they’ll all go and live with Dean because he said he has a house and Grace and Daddy only have an apartment and then they can buy a bunch of animals and a guinea pig for Daddy and maybe oh god maybe either Dean or Daddy will get pregnant and Grace will have a little sister or brother or maybe both and Daddy and Daddy Dean will read to Grace together every night and they can go on family vacations and when people ask who Grace’s dad is she can say both of them and that she loves them both very very much but in her heart she really loves Daddy more but she loves them both so so so so so much that it seems the same and when she’s older she can go and visit Daddy Dean at school and help with the little kids and then Daddy can pick them up and they’ll all make mac n cheese together and –

“Grace, are you breathing?”

“Huh?” Grace looks up from where she was daydreaming staring into her pancakes and sees both Daddy and Dean watching her carefully. Did she say anything out loud?

Daddy strokes the roots of her hair and squints in concern. “Are you okay, sweetie? You weren’t breathing and were getting red.”

“Oh,” Grace looks back down at her pancakes and smiles to herself. “’m okay.”

The soft pads of Daddy’s fingers keep skimming through her hair; Grace has always loved people playing with her hair. Especially dad.

Daddy and Dean eventually eat their pancakes and tell Grace that she did a good job and they were really yummy – _of course they were_. Dad tells her to go get washed up and dressed and that he and Dean will wash the dishes. Sensing that Daddy and Dean are going to talk, Grace hides in the hallway that leads to the kitchen and listens in.

“Are you sure it’s okay that I stick around?” That’s Dean, Grace notes.

There’s the sound of dishes clanking in the sink. “I’ve already put a lot of thought into it and yes, I’m sure.” Daddy sighs, Grace can tell without looking. “You care about Grace and don’t want her to get hurt – I trust you.”

“Thank you,” Dean says, softer than before. There’s no noise except for the flow of water from the faucet so Grace peeks her head around the corner. Daddy and Dean aren’t cleaning dishes anymore, they’re kissing. It’s not like the time in Moondoor, this time seems different. Slower, maybe. It feels more private.

Nonetheless, Grace beams and quickly escapes to her room and falls onto her bed facing the ceiling. She did it, she really did it. Daddy’s happy and Dean’s happy and they’re together and it’s perfect. Everything’s perfect.

 

**~~*~~*~~*~~*~~**

 

_Everything was perfect! Goddammit, Castiel you ruined it for yourself! Dean was happy, he was kissing you, and then you had to go and fucking ruin it!_

Cas is trying – failing – to not rip out chunks of his hair in frustration. Dean looks concerned, but he shouldn’t be. He should be angry. They were kissing and _god, it was perfect_ , but then Cas just had to run his hands up Dean’s sides. He’s done it dozens of times, Dean always liked it but this time it was different.

No, unlike all the other times before, this time Cas went over a bruise – a bruise that _he_ caused. Dean flinched and pulled back and that’s when it all came together. Cas hurt him, he hurt Dean, and there’s nothing he can do to fix that. He went through abuse being with Meg, and he promised himself that he would never hurt someone he loves. And now look!

“Castiel!”

Cas looks up from where he was staring at the ground and locks eyes with Dean. The man is standing in front of him with wide green eyes. Cas notes absently that Dean’s shaking slightly. Or is it himself that’s shaking?

“Cas, stop pacing,” Dean commands. Cas instinctively obeys, which earns him Dean’s warm palm on his shoulder. “You need to calm down. I’m okay. You just…just caught me off guard is all.” Dean trails off for a moment and looks to the side before looking back into Cas’s eyes. “I don’t blame you and I’m not mad at you. Please don’t blame yourself.”

“How can I not?” Cas barely whispers. “I hurt you.”

Dean’s eyes soften and he brings Cas into a strong hug. It’s everything he needs. “It was out of your hands, Cas. You thought I was hurting you daughter. I told you already, if our roles were reversed, I would do the same thing.”

“How can you be so sure?”

Dean looks Cas dead in the eye and says, “Because if I had a daughter I would do anything for her.”

Somehow, that’s enough for Cas. A part of him wants to look deeper into that – is Dean implying that he could see Grace as his own daughter? The other more sensible part of him tells him that he’s looking too far into things. Either way, he believes Dean.

“I’m still eternally sorry,” Cas whispers and chances a kiss to Dean’s cheek.

Dean smiles and twists his face so that Cas’s lips press against his own in a chaste kiss. “And I’ll always forgive you.”

They hold each other for a few more moments until Cas has the sense to finish washing dishes. After every dish he washes, Dean dries it for him. The system works well.

“Why hadn’t you called me or texted me last night when you were on your way home?” Dean asks seemingly randomly. Perhaps not. “You said you would.”

Cas bites his tongue almost hard enough to draw blood to keep from grinning. Dean sounds so domestic it physically _hurts,_ or that’s just the pain from biting on his tongue. They sound like an old couple.

“I did. I called and then sent a text when you didn’t answer,” Cas says.

Dean frowns and puts the cup he just finished drying away in the cupboard. “I didn’t get them.”

“Did you have your phone on you?”

Dean checks his pockets and frowns again when he doesn’t find anything. He goes over to the living room and comes back a moment later scrolling through his phone.

“Oh, I must have left it out here when I was helping Grace take a bath,” Dean says while pocketing the device. “Sorry.”

Cas shrugs. “It’s alright.” Although, maybe it would have given Cas a prior warning that Dean was helping Grace bathe and maybe he wouldn’t have freaked out. He doesn’t say that out loud. Images from last night flash through his mind. Something sticks out this time.

“Dean, why was Grace in her bathing suit?”

The other man freezes where he’s drying a plate and a sudden grin splits his face. He turns to Cas and says, “I’m fine with bathing kids, but I have no desire to see any of my students naked.”

They spend the rest of the time cleaning dishes choking back laughter.

 

**~~*~~*~~*~~*~~**

 

Cas is sprawled on the couch with his limbs tangled in Dean’s. On his lap are his notebook, pencil, and calculator, and on the arm of the couch is his laptop. Dean’s leaning against the opposite arm of the couch and Grace is curled up in front of him against the dip of his chest. When she originally went to sit there Dean sent Cas a panicked look, but once Cas nodded reassuringly he became comfortable. The three of them are all watching _The Lion King_ – one of Grace’s favorites – while Cas works on creating a savings plan for Dean.

Dean provided him with all the information he needs, now it’s just a matter of finding the best possible plan. He’s been at it for hours, but he’s almost done. Just a few more calculations and contrasts between a few plans and then the entire project will be done.

The only down side is that Cas is getting hungry. Like, really hungry. A low rumble echoes from his belly and both Grace and Dean turn and look at him.

Dean smirks. “You hungry, Cas?”

Cas barely resists the urge to tell him to shut up. Being hungry always makes him grumpy and all these numbers are starting to give him a head ache.

“I’m gonna order a pizza. You guys want pizza?” Cas asks. Grace nods excitedly and turns back to the movie while Dean simply nods with a smile.

When the pizza arrives thirty minutes later and Cas takes it from the pizza man, Grace is practically running laps around the couch in excitement. Dean follows Cas into the kitchen to help him get plates and napkins.

“Thank you, Dean,” Cas says.

Dean pecks him on the forehead and slaps him lightly on the ass. “Anything for my own personal pizza man.”

Cas cocks his head to the side and squints his eyes. “Is that meant to be a reference to pornography?”

Dean’s responding laugh is answer enough. They grab slices and bring Grace hers so that she doesn’t miss any part of the movie. It’s peaceful and domestic and _amazing_. Cas has no idea that it’s the calm before the storm.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In celebration of the season ten finale tomorrow, I figured I might as well post this chapter tonight. :) Fair warning, shit does go down in this chapter - but remember that there will always be a happy ending. May we all survive the season finale!!!!!!!

Dean leans back in his chair and surveys the classroom. A few kids are still finishing up their grammar practices, but everyone else is already sprawled out across the mats playing with toys. There’s only an hour left of the school day and he’s antsy to get home and finish this weekend’s episode of Dr. Sexy MD. He’d missed it when he slept over at Cas’s house.

Memories come back from the weekend and Dean bites his lip to keep from smiling like a crazy man. Hanging out with Cas and Grace had been amazing – much more fun than moping around his own house all weekend. He ended up staying over on Saturday as well, and when Gabriel had come back on Sunday, the three of them had all gone out bowling.

The phone to the classroom rings and Dean answers it with a “Room sixty seven, Mr. Winchester speaking. How may I help you?”

“ _Hey Dean,_ ” Pamela says over the phone. “ _Would you mind sending Grace Novak down? She’s getting dismissed._ ”

Dean doesn’t remember Cas saying anything about Grace being dismissed early today. Maybe something came up.

“Alright, I’ll tell her in a moment.”

“ _Awesome,_ ” Pam says. “ _We gotta hang out soon, Dean. I miss those perky muscles of yours._ ”

Dean laughs into the receiver. “Not gonna happen, Pam.”

“ _Oh right, I forgot._ ” Dean can hear the smirk in her voice. “ _You’re with the girl’s dad._ ”

Dean’s heart stops. “How did you know that?” he demands.

“ _Oh relax, Deano,_ ” Pam says. “ _I’ve seen the way you two look at each other. Don’t worry, Principal Mosely hasn’t mentioned anything to me._ ”

Dean breathes out a sigh of relief into the phone. “Way to give me a heart attack, Pam,” Dean says. “I’ll send Grace down.”

“ _Thanks, Dean._ ”

Dean hangs up the phone and takes a deep, calming breath. Grace is sitting with Hannah and Benny playing with a deck of cards. Dean walks over to them, immediately gaining their attention. Grace smiles up at him and waves.

“Hello, Mr. Winchester,” Grace says. She puts extra emphasis on his name, making sure she doesn’t say Dean. He smiles back and resists the urge to ruffle her hair the same way her dad does so often.

“Hello, Grace, Benny, Hannah,” Dean greets. He turns to Grace and notices how happy she looks. “You’re getting picked up, Grace.”

Grace squints her eyes and cocks her head to the side. _Just like her father._ “I’m getting picked up?”

“Yeah, kiddo,” Dean says, accompanying her over to her cubby to get her bag.

“Why?”

“Couldn’t tell you,” Dean shrugs. He helps Grace put her arms through the straps of her backpack and puts her grammar work book into the backpack. “Can you make it to the front office on your own or do you want one of your friends to go with you?”

Grace shuffles her backpack on her back and looks up at him. “I’m a big girl, I can do it on my own.” She motions for him to lean down so he does. “Bye, Dean, I’ll tell Daddy that you said hi,” she whispers.

Dean laughs and leads her to the door. “Thanks, Grace. Have a good day.”

Grace shuffles down the hall with a final wave goodbye. Dean turns back into the room and is glad to see that everyone’s finished their grammar practices. He’ll give the class the rest of the day to play since they had a test today.

Dean sits behind his desk to get some grading done and pulls out his phone. There’s a text from Sammy asking him to tell Cas thanks for drafting a savings plan. As long as they both follow their plans, then Sammy can graduate this year. Dean spilled everything to Sam on Sunday night when they talked on the phone, so he knows about his and Cas’s secret relationship. He’s actually quite supportive of it, even if it does have to be kept quiet.

He texts Sam back and forth for a few minutes while grading two tests, but then Sam has to go to class. There’s still about another half hour left of the school day. Dean chews on his bottom lip, deliberating whether he should text Cas. It’s been about twenty minutes since he picked up Grace, so there’s a chance he’s not driving anymore.

_What’s up?_

Dean puts his phone down and gets another three spelling tests graded before Cas texts back. Attached is a picture of Cas sitting at his desk looking utterly bored and pouting, holding a handmaid sign that reads _save me from the king of hell!_

Dean gets trapped in Cas’s blue eyes but then he starts to panic. Why would Cas dismiss Grace early from school and then go back to work? Unless it wasn’t Cas that dismissed her.

_Where’s Gabriel?_

_At the candy shop. Why?_

Dean’s calling Cas before he can think to go out into the hallway. The kids are on the other side of the classroom anyway; they won’t be focused on him.

“ _Dean? Why are you calling me at work?_ ”

“Did you dismiss Grace from school twenty minutes ago?”

There’s a pause where Cas’s breath stutters. “ _No._ ” Cas sounds surprisingly calm. “ _Where is my daughter, Dean?_ ”

Dean chews on his bottom lip and resists the urge to whine or scream or anything that will alert the entire class to the fact that something is very, _very_ wrong.

“I don’t know!” Dean shouts under his breath. “I got a call from the front office saying she was getting dismissed. I figure it was you!”

“ _Dean,_ ” Cas whines, sounding like he’s seconds away from crying suddenly. “ _It wasn’t me or Gabriel._ ”

Dean’s going to throw up. How could he let this happen?

“I’m going to go to the office and ask Pamela who picked her up, I’ll call you back.”

“ _Dean Winchester, don’t you dare hang up the phone!_ ” Cas yells over the line. Dean remembers Cas telling him that he could be very persuasive when he’s angry. He can sense it now.

“Alright,” Dean obeys. He jogs to Charlie’s classroom across the hall and asks her to watch over his class for a few minutes. She must realize that something’s wrong because she immediately complies. Dean takes the stairs two at a time and then jogs to the main office, the whole time with Cas babbling nervously in his ear.

“Pamela, who dismissed Grace Novak?” Dean blurts as soon as he throws open the door to the office. There’s an elderly lady talking to Pam – probably to pick up a grandchild – and she glares at Dean. He couldn’t give a shit.

Pam squints at Dean oddly and tilts her head. “The short blonde girl? Dean, you know that there are too many children here for me to know all their names.”

“ _Yes._ ”

“Her mom.”

There’s a strangled sort of noise coming from Dean’s phone, but he’s lost all functions anyway. “Son of a bitch,” he swears, earning himself another glare from the elderly lady.

“What?” Pam’s finally getting the message that something’s wrong. “Dean, what’s going on?”

Dean takes the phone from his ear, not wanting to hear Cas whimpering and cursing. “Grace’s mother isn’t allowed within five miles of Grace. She just got out of jail after serving charges of attempted infanticide.”

Dean out of the office and heading to his car before Pamela has the chance to respond. He brings the phone back to his ear when he hears “ _Dean!_ ”

“Cas, I’m getting my car.”

“ _I just left work,_ ” Cas tells him. He sounds breathless. “ _God, Dean, I don’t…I don’t know what to do._ ” The last few words come out as almost whines. “ _How could the school not have checked Meg before they gave her Grace?_ ”

“I don’t know,” Dean unlocks the car and practically throws it into drive before he can even think to buckle. “God, Cas, I’m so sorry.”

“ _Just help me find her,_ ” Cas grits out. “ _I’m going to fucking kill Meg._ ”

Dean swallows. Cas doesn’t sound like he’s being persuaded by anger. He sounds serious – dead serious. A vision of Cas lying in bed late at night plotting out Meg’s murder gets stuck in Dean’s mind. He doesn’t really like that vision.

“Cas, you need to calm down.”

There isn’t time for Dean to regret his words before Cas is screaming into the phone, “ _Calm down? You want me to calm down! My daughter is missing and you want me to calm down!_ ”

“Pull over.”

“Dean, I can’t there isn’t –”

“Cas, pull over and I’ll come pick you up. You aren’t fit to drive and the last thing we need is you getting into a car crash.”

There are some grumbled words over the phone line, but Dean can’t make them out. Eventually Cas mutters “Fine.”

Ten minutes later Dean finds his Prius pulled over on the side of Main Street outside of a café. Cas is sitting in the driver’s seat white knuckling the steering wheel. When Dean taps on the window, Cas jumps and knocks his head into the corner of the car ceiling.

He quickly gets out of the car, rubbing his head, and Dean wraps him in a hug. Cas’s entire body is shaking and he’s gripping onto Dean tightly.

“Did you call the police?”

His voice is so small and wrecked that it physically hurts to hear it.

“I got a text from Pam on my way to get you saying that she called it in. I’ve already passed two cruisers.”

Cas nods and takes a deep breath. “I’m going to find her.”

 

**~~*~~*~~*~~*~~**

 

Six hours later and the only lead they have is an abandoned minivan on the side of a back road. Whereas Cas is usually calm in most situations, he takes over and commands when Grace’s safety is on the line. Half the cops out looking for her are taking their orders from him instead of their supervisor and the other half are at least checking in with him.

It’s starting to get dark, which means that it’ll only get harder to find her. Cas knows about the whole twenty four hour window, how the chances of finding her diminish greatly after a whole day.

Cas grits his teeth and barks out another order, sending a cruiser to check an abandoned parking lot across town. Dean’s searching through back roads in the Impala while Cas and Gabriel are teamed up in his Prius. Gabriel, of course, is driving while Castiel commands his small army of local police.

“We should get one of those light up sirens to put on top of your car,” Gabriel jokes. Cas knows that he’s only trying to lighten the mood and relieve some of Cas’s nerves, but nothing can. Until Cas has Grace back, he won’t be okay.

“You aren’t helping, Gabriel.”

Gabe snorts and takes a sharp left turn onto a very poorly paved road. “Just trying to get you to loosen up a little, Cassie.”

Cas takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. He needs this one moment of reprieve. Just this one moment of peace and then the world around him will continue to spiral downward. In out, in out, in out. He can do this. He can find Grace and he will. He’ll bring her home and then everything will be okay. It has to be.

“I’m sorry, Gabe,” Castiel whispers when he opens his eyes once more. “I am very…stressed…right now. I’m afraid I won’t be much good company until I find my daughter.”

Gabriel looks over to Cas for a moment and Cas is enveloped fully in the older brother look. Gabriel, who practically raised Cas, is looking at him as if he’s going to break. “We’re going to find Grace, Castiel. And when we find Meg, we’re going to make sure she never sets foot out of prison again.”

Cas wouldn’t dream of it any other way.

 

**~~*~~*~~*~~*~~**

 

The rattle of chains in the distance is what wakes her up. Her eyes are open, Grace knows it, but all she can see is darkness. There must be a blindfold over his eyes. When she tries to move her hands to rip it away, she can’t. Fear spikes up her backbone and then she’s tugging at her wrists. There’s something around them preventing her from moving.

Grace tries to whine or scream or something, but there’s something clouding it. She realizes belatedly that there’s a cloth between her teeth. The fear spreads from her backbone through her rib cage. It’s the realization to the harsh scent of cleaning supplies that allows the fear to strike through her heart.

Is she dead?

A loud bang causes Grace to jump in her restraints. Her breath pants hot and heavy against the rag in her mouth as her body freezes. Where is she?

The last thing she remembers is being dismissed from Dean’s class and then going down stairs and then…nothing. Grace scrunches her eyes and tries real _real_ hard to remember, but it’s useless.

_Maybe if I try and walk around…_

Nope. Grace’s legs are also bound. This time her muffled scream echoes in her ears. Where’s Daddy? Where is she? WHEN IS SHE GOING BACK TO DADDY?

There’s another bang, but this time it’s much closer. Grace draws her knees in close to her chest and squeezes her eyes shut. Daddy told her when she was younger that he used to believe in God and that it helped him to pray. Grace doesn’t know how to pray, but she does her best.

_Please God, make everything okay. Bring me back to Daddy. Please. Pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease._

“Look who woke up,” a smug woman’s voice says. It’s a foreign voice, one Grace doesn’t recognize. “My little protégé.”

_Please God, please please please._

“No more screaming, huh?” The voice is getting closer. Grace is shaking; her eyes squeezed shut so tight she can see stars. “You screamed like a little bitch when I tried to kill you the first time.”

Grace’s eyes snap open wide at the very same moment that Meg takes off her blindfold, revealing a dark haired woman with a lecherous, menacing smile and chilling eyes that Grace knows will haunt her for the rest of her life. Going straight to her instincts, Grace screams and thrashes against her restraints before something is jabbed into her forearm and she loses consciousness once more.

 

**~~*~~*~~*~~*~~**

 

“ _Dean, where are you?_ ”

“I’m a little busy right now, Sammy.”

There’s a sigh over the line. “ _Dean I’m outside of your house right now, it’s kinda cold so I’d prefer to go inside._ ”

“You’re _what?_ ”

Sam laughs. “ _I have a few weeks off before graduation, I figured I’d head back to Lawrence to see you._ ”

Dean bites his lip and pulls over to the side of the road. It’s eleven already and there still hasn’t been any sights of Grace or Meg since the police found that abandoned minivan. The school already sent out an apology to Cas, which only led to Cas’s phone almost being thrown out the window.

“Listen, I’m glad that you’re home, but I need your help.”

“ _What’s up?_ ” The eye squint is practically visible through the phone.

Dean takes a shaking breath and clears his throat. “Remember me telling you about Cas’s crazy ex Meg? And how she tried to kill Grace and ran from her patrol officer a few months ago?”

“ _…Yeah._ ”

“Well,” Dean bites his lips. “Grace officially went missing at two today.”

“ _Fuck._ ”

“Yeah.”

There’s a bunch of rustling over the phone line and then a loud bang followed by the distinct squeak of Dean’s front door being opened.

“Did…did you just kick my door open?” Dean can’t fight the slight smile playing on his lips.

“You know Dad never would have let us lose our years of military training.” There’s more rustling and then the squeak of Dean’s door screeches again. “Come pick me up and I’ll help you look for her.”

Ten minutes later and Dean is face to face with Sammy for the first time in months. He jumps out of the car and embraces his not so little brother in a tight hug. Dean has to be strong for Cas whenever he calls and is upset, but not with Sammy. Sam gets it, he takes Dean’s fears and pain and he helps. God, does he help.

Growing up with all the training Dad forced on them as kids, they need each other.

“We’ll find her, Dean,” Sam whispers. “Don’t worry.”

“It’s just…” Dean breaks away from Sammy’s hug and gets back into the car. Sam slides into his proper spot in the passenger seat and bravery blooms in Dean’s chest. He’s missed Sam so much. “It’s just that I’ve started to think of my future and my future with Cas, and it always involves the three of us being together as a uh, small family of sorts. It’s stupid, I know.”

It isn’t as if he’s expecting Sam to gasp or to freak out or anything like that, but for him to smile and look at Dean knowingly isn’t on his list.

“What’s that look for?”

Sam grins and looks out the window, keeping his eyes out for any tufts of blonde hair. “I totally called it.”

Dean blanches and accelerates the car. “Did not.”

“Totally did.”

“Bitch.”

Sam turns around and smirks at Dean. “Jerk.”

They quiet soon after that, too immersed in the hunt for Grace and Meg. There isn’t any sort of choice here; they need to find Grace, and they need to find her soon.

They expand their search into the neighboring towns but there still is no sign of them. Dean’s getting increasingly frustrated, his grip on the steering wheel tightening as the minutes tick by. Sam’s stoically looking out the window as they drive slowly down back roads. A small part of Dean is pleased to be working with Sammy again. The rest of him is too scared under the circumstances.

A little after midnight Dean gets another call from Cas telling him to keep searching unless he needs to rest for a little while. Dean very seriously tells Cas that he won’t rest until they find Grace and that’s the end of the conversation.

Obviously Castiel doesn’t blame Dean for Grace disappearing, but there are times when it feels like it. Like right then, the way that Cas ended the phone call without so much as a goodbye. But maybe Dean’s being selfish. After all, Cas’s daughter is missing, the last thing he’s worrying about is Dean.

Their window of time is closing in on them much faster than it should be. Even though Lawrence Airport is on high alert for Meg and Grace and all highways are also being checked, it doesn’t feel like enough. Anything could happen and they have absolutely no control.

In other words, Dean’s terrified.

 

**~~*~~*~~*~~*~~**

 

Grace wakes up slowly, groggily. Her vision is blurry at best and there’s a pounding ache at the base of her skull. Her wrists are no longer linked together by handcuffs, so she raises one to her head and rubs soothing circles the same way Daddy does when she’s sick.

Grace needs to get out of here, wherever she is. There’s a voice coming from far away, or at least it seems far away, she really can’t tell with such a head ache, but the speaker sounds occupied. The speaker – Meg, Grace remembers with a shiver – doesn’t seem worried about her waking up.

With her vision clearing up slightly, Grace realizes that she’s inside a shed. It’s dark and hard to see, but she can make out the close walls and gardening tools. Hesitantly checking her body for any restraints and finding none, _thank you, God_ , Grace stands and tip-toes to the wall closest to the sound of Meg’s voice.

There’s a small window that Grace needs to stand on her toes to look out of, but she can see Meg pacing about a hundred feet from the shed. There’s a half moon tonight, which will give Grace just enough light in the darkness.

She’s never understood what the expression “chilled to the bones” meant until now. Her heart is beating faster than it ever has before and sweat is beading at her forehead and palms. Oddly enough, the doors to the shed are unlocked.

As slowly and quietly as possible, Grace pushes one of the doors open, squeezing her eyes shut for fear of making noise, and slips through the small opening. A quick glance to her right shows her that Meg is facing the other way still talking on the phone. Her head continues to pound, her vision is nowhere near perfect, and she’s shaking more than she has in her entire life.

It’s dark and she has absolutely no idea where she is, but she runs.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

Cas’s eyes slip out of focus and he ends up stumbling into Gabriel.

“You need sleep, baby bro or else you’re going to pass out and smash your face on the pavement.”

“I don’t,” Cas mumbles, closing his eyes for a moment, _just one moment._ The light shove from Gabriel is inevitably the one thing that keeps him from face planting into the parking lot at the Lawrence Police Station. It’s roughly six am and they haven’t found anything. _At all._

Cas is tired, angry, confused, and fucking pissed. He’s been seething and commanding almost all the cops on call all night, but at this point all he wants is to go home and take a nap with Grace. There’s just one problem with that.

The loud rumble of Dean’s Impala startles Castiel out of his current seething; just in time, too, or else Cas would have burned a hole through the asphalt with his eyes.

The hunk of a car skids to a stop next to Cas’s own and then Dean’s throwing the door open and jogging towards Cas. He would take a few steps forward and meet Dean in the middle, but he simply doesn’t have the energy or the will. Seeming to understand, Dean walks right up to him and wraps him in a tight embrace.

Cas buries his face in Dean’s shoulder and closes his eyes, wrapping his own arms around Dean’s lower back. The impulse to cry is back as it was in the beginning. After locking the part of him that’s scared and bursting with the need to cry for hours in order to bark out orders and be efficient, that small weak part of him is ready to surface. Dean’s fingers are stroking along Cas’s back, silently soothing him. It’s a comfortable and solid weight, a reassurance of his stability.

The sound of another door opening causes Cas to open his eyes and spot a large man getting out of the passenger seat of Dean’s Impala. Irrationally, Cas’s first instinct is to glare at the newcomer and ask Dean who the fuck that guy is, who looks so comfortable in Dean’s Impala. Thankfully, he’s too tired to do such and ends up closing his eyes once more and leaning in closer to Dean.

“Who’s that?” Cas slurs, his eyes shut and body wavering. Dean’s grip around him tightens, sensing his instability.

“Hmm?” Dean murmurs. There’s a shift, presumably Dean turning his head to look. “Oh, that’s Sammy.”

A distant voice in the back of Cas’s head tells him to wake up and meet Dean’s younger brother, but his eyes won’t open and his body won’t pull itself from Dean’s chest. The heavy footsteps approach but Cas’s eyes continue to stay shut. He’s being quite rude, he knows it, but he can’t fight his body on this one. Besides, he’s sure that if Sam is anything like how Dean’s described him, then he’ll understand.

“Is he asleep?” Sam asks.

“Cassie’s awake,” Gabriel answers. “Well, barely.”

Cas grunts in greeting. Oh, he’s so rude right now.

“He should get some sleep,” Sam says. “He wants to be awake for when Grace gets home.”

A quiet whimper gets caught in Cas’s throat, and his fingers tighten around the fabric of Dean’s jacket. One of Dean’s hands ceases its motions on Cas’s back and tangles itself in his hair. It’s grounding in just the right way.

Dean’s lips meet Cas’s forehead in a chaste kiss. “We should take you home. None of us are much help if we pass out at the wheel.”

Somehow Cas is able to nod his head against Dean’s shoulder.

“Let’s all meet up at my house,” Dean says. “It’s bigger.”

Cas lets himself be dragged towards his car. Dean passes him off to Gabriel and he sits in the passenger seat, staring back at the police station through heavy lidded eyes as they drive away. Cas’s eyes slip back shut for a few moments but he doesn’t fall asleep. Tension is rolling off of Gabriel in waves, radiating towards Cas and keeping him from falling asleep.

“We’ll find her, right?” Gabe asks, his voice cracking on the last word.

Cas squeezes his eyes shut and pushes back tears. “Of course, Gabriel, of course we’ll find Grace.” A deep pressure is pushing on the base of Cas’s throat and his eyes are stinging. The ringing in his ears isn’t natural either.

All he wants to do is curl up in a ball and fall asleep with Grace in his arms. Is that too much to ask for?

His eyes slip open and focus on the road in front of him. The sun only started to rise a few minutes ago, leaving most of the city immersed in darkness. It’s chilly outside, the ache in of the cold in his bones only beginning to register now that Cas isn’t on high alert. There’ll be enough police officers out looking for Grace for Cas to nap for a few hours before going back out to look.

_Just an hour or two…_

A figure running on the sidewalk attracts Cas’s attention as they approach them. How someone is out running at six fifteen am on a cold Tuesday is unknown to Cas, but maybe he’s biased. After all, he’s been on edge for hours and is hitting his low.

It’s as they get closer to the figure that Cas starts leaning forward in his seat. The runner is quite short; short enough to be a child. A small shimmer of hope curls in Cas’s chest as he leans farther towards the windshield and squints his eyes. The rising sun is glinting off the runner’s bright blonde hair, and displaying their bright pink tank top and dark blue jeans. The very same outfit Grace was wearing yesterday when Cas dropped her off at school.

The curl of hope explodes in his chest, waking each and every one of his senses and causing him to unbuckle and yell, “Stop the car!”

Gabriel obeys, slamming on the breaks only a second later. Cas is throwing the door open and running out of the car before the vehicle has even come to a complete stop. Behind them, the Impala slams to a stop only a few feet behind the Prius.

Cas’s heart is pounding in his ears as he runs toward the shorter runner. The girl is still at least fifty feet away from him, but Cas is gaining speed as adrenaline pumps through his veins like an addictive drug. The little girl trips and pummels to the ground, but quickly gets up and keeps running, occasionally looking behind her.

“Grace!” Cas shouts. The little girl stops in her tracks.

“Daddy!”

And then they’re both running again. There are at least two other sets of footsteps running behind Castiel, but he ignores them and only stops running once he’s leaned down and scooping Grace into his arms.

“ _Daddy,_ ” Grace sobs, burying her face in his neck and releasing wet, hot tears. The tears that Cas has been holding back spill over and stream down his face as he holds his daughter to his chest and cries into her hair.

“I love you so much,” Cas whispers, pressing kiss after kiss onto her hair. “I love you so much, Grace. I’m so sorry, baby. I’ll never let you get hurt again.”

The other footsteps stop, but Cas is so enveloped in Grace that he doesn’t realize that they have an audience.

Grace squirms in his hold and shakes. “I’m so scared, Daddy,” she cries. “Take me home. Please, Daddy, _please._ ”

“Of course, baby,” Cas says, pressing a final kiss to her hair and looking up. Wet and sticky tears track down from his eyes and blur his vision, but clear as day in front of him stands Gabriel, Dean, and Sam. The three of them are all watching, and maybe it’s an optical illusion from the tears clogging his vision, but it looks as if all of them are crying too.

“I – we’re going to go home,” Cas whispers. He takes a few steps forward but then he’s stopped by three sets of arms all wrapping around him and Grace. Belatedly, he realizes that they’re all hugging them. Tears flow freely then, and only once he’s started to wipe at them does he realize why Grace is shaking so much. She’s in a tank top and it’s fucking freezing overnight.

Gabriel seems to come to the same conclusion at the same time. “We need to get Grace home and get her warm before she gets pneumonia.”

Minutes ago Cas was ready to fall asleep in the car, but now his body is on high alert. Looking around, he finds no trace of Meg anywhere.

“Baby, do you know what’s going on?” Cas asks Grace as they get into the car with Gabriel, Grace still clutching to his neck and legs wrapped around his hips. She shakes her head no before burying it back into his neck. “It’s okay, Angel, it’ll be okay.”

Because it will be. It has to be.

Instead of driving to Castiel’s apartment half way across town, they drive the two streets down to Dean’s home. Not only is it closer, but it’s more likely that Meg will check the apartment before venturing through town.

A spike of rage courses through him, but he tramps it down. He needs to stay calm for Grace, he needs to be her rock. If nothing else, he needs a clear head to make decisions. Damn, Cas is going to need to call his lawyer soon.

When they finally get to Dean’s house, Grace is still shaking in Cas’s arms. Dean pushes the door open – why is it broken? – and leads them to his bedroom. Gabriel and Sam hang back in the living room. Sam might have said something about making coffee, but Cas isn’t paying attention.

Grace’s eyes are shut and there are tears welling at her eye lashes. Cas sets her down on the bed and strips himself of his trench coat. As soon as he lets go of her, she reaches out and wraps her arms around Dean.

Cas pauses momentarily as he takes his coat off and his lips form around a soft ‘o’. If he ever had any doubts about letting Dean get close to Grace, they’re gone now. Grace obviously can seek comfort in him, and trusts him. A smooth warmth settles in Cas’s chest as he kicks off his shoes and climbs onto the bed.

Dean takes Grace’s shoes off also and passes her to Cas. She loops her arm around his neck and pulls him in, bringing the three of them close together.

“’m so cold,” she mutters, her teeth chattering.

Dean throws the blankets back and they all climb in. “We’ll warm you up, Angel, I promise,” Cas whispers, bringing Grace close to his chest and pressing a kiss to her forehead. A small noise gargles in the back of Grace’s throat and Cas pulls her closer, as close as he can manage without squeezing her.

On the other side of Cas, Dean drapes himself against his back, rubbing soothing circles onto Grace’s arms from over Cas. Leaning up, Dean locks eyes with Cas. A silent question fills his soft green eyes. Dean wants to make sure this is okay. Cas smiles, it’s watery and he’s still trying not to cry, and nods.

Grace falls asleep fairly quickly, with both Cas and Dean singing quietly to her. Once her breathing evens out, Cas lets himself take a moment to gather himself. He closes his eyes and simply breathes. Everything’s okay. Grace is here, in his arms, and even though Meg is still out there, she’ll be found.

He has his breathing down until he notices blood on Grace’s arm. Dried crusty blood is all covered around the inside of her forearm, right around what looks like a small injection site. This is when Cas loses it.

“Cas, it’s okay,” Dean whispers, resting his palm on Cas’s shoulder. It’s only with the touch that he realizes that he’s shaking. Grace’s shaking stopped within minutes of being glued to his chest. “Castiel.”

He’s trying, he really is, but he can’t stop the spasms from rocking his body. Meg almost took Grace away from him for the second time. Meg drugged Grace. Grace, who means the world, who _is_ the world.

The press of gentle lips against his own gets him to blink his eyes back open. Dean pulls away after only a few seconds, but the effect is still there. A shudder works its way through Cas’s body, but it calms soon after.

“Th-thank you.”

Dean smiles; radiant. “I…” he tapers off, his eyes clouding over. The tension in the air is heavy between them. Grace sleeps on. Cas thinks he knows what Dean’s going to say and he wants him to say it so badly it almost hurts. “I’m glad that Grace is safe.”

He’s disappointed for a moment, but he really can’t be. He has Grace and she’s safe, what else could he ask for?

“Me too.”

 

**~~*~~*~~*~~*~~**

 

“ _I know you’re in there!_ ”

Even having just woken, Cas would know that voice anywhere. After all, it’s the voice that fills his nightmares. His entire body freezes, his breathing temporarily shutting off.

“Come out here and face me like a real man, Clarence!” Meg shrieks. It was foolish to think that she might have not been able to find them at Dean’s house. Stupid stupid stupid.

And did they ever even alert the police that they found Grace? God, everything just happened so fast.

“Daddy,” Grace whines, pulling on the sleeve of Cas’s shirt. “Daddy, she’s _here._ ”

Grace’s distress overpowers his own and pushes him straight into protective mode. Dean’s not in the bed, even though he fell asleep with the both of them.

“I’ll take care of it,” Cas promises. “I won’t let her hurt you. Can you stay in here, Angel?”

Grace nods, giving Cas a soft kiss on the cheek before hiding underneath the blankets. The walk across the house to the front yard is a blur, but once he’s there he’s surrounded by support. Dean, Gabriel, and Sam are all already standing on the porch yelling at Meg. Sam and Dean are physically restraining Gabriel from lunging at her, just as Cas would have expected. Gabe may come off as cool, but he has a mean streak when it comes to those who mess with his family.

A lecherous wicked grin spreads across Meg’s face at the sight of Castiel. “Clarence,” she drawls, making his skin crawl at the use of his old nickname. “How kind of you to show up.”

“Meg.” Cas’s voice is devoid of all emotions. He stares her down, unblinking as she smiles wickedly back up at him. He can’t show weakness, not now.

“You know,” Meg drawls, pretending to inspect her fingernails. “That little bitch has always brought us apart, Clarence.” Meg blinks up at him with wide, fake innocent eyes. “I was only trying to save our marriage.”

Cas glares harder and grinds his teeth together. There’s no use in saying anything, not when he knows it will provoke her. Besides, he’s provoked her enough times in his past.

“But then again…I wasn’t thinking back then.” Just like she’s always been able to do, she draws Cas back in. A smirk graces her lips when Cas’s head snaps back to her from where he’d started to watch Gabriel being held back. “I didn’t realize what a blessing having _Grace_ was.”

Cas squints his eyes and curls his fingers into fists. “What are you talking about? You tried to _kill_ her.”

“It was a mistake,” Meg says. “I didn’t realize the power I was given.” There’s a malicious glint in Meg’s eyes, one that Cas doesn’t like one bit. “How I could train Grace, raise her against the world. Just think about it, Clarence, she could have been our own little assassin.”

Cas gapes and Gabriel stops struggling against Dean and Sam. _What the hell?_

A dark expression flits across Meg’s features. “But you took her away from me.”

Meg strides forward and Gabriel starts thrashing again. Dean and Sam are more than adequate at keeping the smaller man held back, but Cas is starting to worry that Gabriel’s stubbornness is bleeding into his physical body. She makes it as far as the front steps before Cas steps forward and seethes.

“Give me my daughter, Clarence.”

“No way in Hell.”

Meg sneers, stepping forward until she’s right in Cas’s face. “She’s _mine_. I’m her _mother._ ”

Castiel sees red. His hands ball into fists and his entire body shakes, barely containing his rage. He won’t hit her, he refuses. Even after all the abuse he suffered from that woman, he only ever hit her when she tried to kill Grace. His daughter’s safe; he won’t hit Meg.

“Listen to me, Megan,” Cas whispers, his voice barely contained. Meg glares at the use of her full name. “You have no claim whatsoever to Grace. In case you haven’t realized, you tried to murder her. She’s _mine_ , she’s _my daughter._ Where were you when she was growing up?”

A hand settles on Cas’s shoulder but he shrugs it off. He’s too angry, he needs to keep going.

“Where were you when she took her first steps? Where were you when she said her first words? Her first amusement park ride? Her first sunset? Where were you when she was five and she fell and sprained her ankle? You weren’t there for the hours of tears and medications. You weren’t there for her ballet recital even though she hated it. You didn’t hear her sing with her school chorus where she had the most beautiful solo. You’ve never seen the absolutely amazing look on her face when she jumps into a pool for the first time all summer.”

Even though his voice is strained from the tears he’s trying and failing to hold back and his vision is blurring, he keeps going. After spending years of his life with Meg, he knows her tells. The way her arms are crossed over her stomach and her left foot is tapping just slightly. Meg is nervous.

“You’ve never sat with her for hours at night because she was afraid of the monsters in the dark, no matter how many nightlights you’ve bought her. You haven’t seen her _cry_ when she sees a stray cat and begs you to take it home. You weren’t there when she had to say goodbye to all her friends in Boston. You’ve never cared and loved her so much that you’ve thought that you would never be able to love anything else because you love her too much.”

All sounds around him stopped a while ago, but the silence echoes in his ears.

“Where were you, Meg?”

His ex-wife reaches forward and grabs the front collar of his shirt. “I was in jail thanks to you, bastard.”

And that’s when shit goes down.

Dean and Sam must release Gabriel because the short little guy is tackling Meg to the ground within seconds. She’s screaming and kicking at him, but Gabe just goes at it. He’s pinning her to the ground and shouting, but Cas can’t hear the words.

The front door to Dean’s house opens and Grace walks out.

_No!_

Cas immediately scoops her up and makes to bring her right back into the house, but she squirms in his arms so much that he has to put her down.

“Daddy, I called the police,” she says, her voice urgent. “Please don’t cry.”

Wiping furiously at his eyes, Cas squats down on the porch and pulls her into a crushing hug. “Thank you, Angel, now go back inside the house. Go to Dean’s room and lock the door, okay baby?”

Grace nods and kisses him on the cheek before running back into the house. When he turns back around, Meg is now on top of Gabe, clawing at his stomach. Gabriel is holding his own and blocking most of her hits, but anger still floods his system.

Just as his foot touches the grass, a hand grabs him by the shirt and hauls him back onto the porch. Cas is by no means small, either. Sam releases his arm and pushes him to Dean.

“You don’t want to get involved or she can place charges.” The only reason Cas listens to Sam’s advice is because he remembers Dean saying that Sam studies law.

“I can’t just let my brother get beaten by my ex-wife.”

Dean swallows and walks forward. “I’ll take care of it.” He’s five feet away from them when Meg notices him. She stops clawing at Gabriel, instead just pinning him down.

“Look at that,” she smirks. “The man who’s fucking my husband.”

Dean stops in his tracks and his shoulders set rigidly. How did Meg know that? “ _Ex_ -husband.”

“Clarence is mine and always will be.” Meg must see Dean as a much bigger threat than Gabriel (both literally and figuratively) because she releases Gabe and stalks over to Dean. “You’re just a toy for him to play with. _I’m_ the one he loves.”

Dean’s hands curl into fists and Cas closes his eyes. Can’t the police just get here already?

“Castiel doesn’t love you,” Dean says, surprisingly calm. “How could he love the monster that tried to kill his daughter?”

And that’s when shit goes down. Again.

There’s the sound of bone crunching and a high pitched scream – one that’s haunted Cas’s nightmares for the past six years – and then the sound of sirens. Six cop cars pull to a stop in front of Dean’s house and then the perimeter is being flooded with officers, all with their guns raised.

“Hands in the air!”

Meg growls, but must follow protocol because the officer doesn’t ask again. A steady palm settles on Cas’s shoulder, but he keeps his eyes squeezed shut. He can’t look, he just can’t.

“Cas, it’s okay now,” Sam says. “They’re putting Meg in hand cuffs.”

Cas shakes his head, but opens his eyes nonetheless. He’s expecting to see a black eye or something of the like on Meg, but instead Dean’s jaw is bruising.

As soon as Meg is brought to the cop car, Dean walks over to them and hugs Cas.

“Your jaw…”

Dean shrugs. “It’s fine.”

Cas frowns at him and pulls out of the hug. “No it’s not, I could hear it crack when she hit you.”

“Honestly, it doesn’t even really hurt.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

Dean frowns. _He still looks beautiful._ “Do what?”

“Pretend that you’re not in pain.”

Dean laughs and pulls Cas into an even tighter hug. “I’m glad that you think so highly of me, but I’m really not hurt. You probably just heard her knuckles against my jaw.”

Cas breathes into the hug and shuts his eyes once more. “Yeah, maybe,” he mumbles into Dean’s shoulder. A cop approaches them a few minutes later to ask questions, and Cas sends Gabriel into the house to make sure Grace is okay. There’s a few scratches and minor bruises on Gabe, but other than that, he’s fine.

And so the questions begin.

They last forever, or so it seems. Officer Henrickson keeps asking questions, even as Cas holds Grace while she’s looked at by EMTs. It turns out Grace _was_ drugged, but it was a low enough dosage that most of it has left her system. She keeps sniffling, as if she has a cold, but the EMTs say that it’ll go away in a few days. Cas just hopes they’re right.

“Thank you, Mr. Novak,” Officer Henrickson says after he’s finished asking all the questions he has. “I’m sorry that you and your daughter had to go through this.”

“Yeah,” Cas says. The image of Meg’s snarling face behind the window of the cop car as she was driven away is seared into his memory. Now he has a new nightmare. But at least this time he knows that Grace will be safe forever. “Me too.”

 

**~~*~~*~~*~~*~~**

 

“So,” Grace drawls, looking the moose in front of her up and down. “You’re Sammy?”

Sam beams and nods his head. “The one and only.”

Dean laughs from in the kitchen and Grace smiles. Daddy, Dean, Uncle Gabriel, her, and Sam are all at Dean’s house making dinner. Well, Daddy and Dean are making dinner while the rest of them are sitting in the living room and watching Harry Potter. Everyone finished talking to the police only an hour ago, but they said that they’d still have questions in a few days. Hopefully there aren’t too many.

“But Dean said you live in California.”

“I do, but I’m visiting for a few days before I have to take some really big tests and then I’ll be back officially.”

Grace clambers onto the couch next to him and leans her head back to look up at him. _He’s so tall._ “Can you come to class sometime and help teach? Please?”

A childish and beautiful smile works its way across Sam’s lips. “We’ll see.”

“ _Please._ ”

“Grace, are you trying to pressure Dean’s brother into doing something?” Uncle Gabe asks, plopping down onto one of the other couches with a bowl of popcorn.

Grace crosses her arms in front of her in an act of defense but smiles anyway through a small sniffle. _Stupid cold._ “No.”

“Hmm,” Uncle Gabe puts the popcorn bowl aside and makes a big show of pretending to think. “I don’t think the tickle monster believes you.”

Squealing, Grace jumps off of the couch and runs. Uncle Gabe’s favorite game to play is tickle monster, which is really just him running around and tickling her when she can’t get away fast enough.

“The tickle monster’s gonna get you!” Uncle Gabe yells and Grace squeals, doubling speed until she knocks into Daddy’s legs.

“Daddy, save me!”

Daddy hides Grace behind his legs and Dean stands on the other side so that she’s doubly hidden. Uncle Gabe walks in and pretends he can’t see her, but she’s seven now, she knows he can see her.

“Where’s Grace?” he asks. “The tickle monster is hungry for giggles.”

A small squeak breaks through from Grace’s lips and then she’s running again. The tickle monster catches her halfway to Dean’s room and then she’s squealing and giggling on the floor. Uncle Gabe is relentless, finding all her most sensitive spots and prodding her with his fingers. There are tears in her eyes as she laughs, clutching at her stomach and trying to push his hands away.

“I surrender!” she squeals. “Uncle Gabe, stop!”

“Stop?” Uncle Gabe asks, continuing to most definitely not stop. “Did I hear keep going?”

Grace continues to giggle as she’s tickled, but then salvation is brought because the tickling stops. Instead, Uncle Gabe starts laughing uncontrollably. Grace opens her eyes and sees Sam standing over him tickling at his ribs.

“Not so fun now?” Sam asks, laughing along with Uncle Gabe and Grace. Daddy and Dean are laughing from the kitchen. They look like one big family.

Maybe they can be.


	15. Chapter Fifteen

“Who are they?”

“He’s so tall!”

“He’s the size of a moose!”

“She’s so pretty!”

“Uncle Sammy!”

Grace squeals and jumps out of her chair, running to Uncle Sammy who’s standing by Dean’s desk. Standing next to him is a tall blonde lady that Grace has never seen before. Uncle Sammy stayed with Dean for about a week after the Incident We Don’t Speak Of, but then he had to go back to California to take those big tests. That was a month ago.

Uncle Sammy beams and squats down to meet Grace in a tight hug. The blonde lady greets Dean with a hug. Only a few days after they met, she started to call him Uncle Sammy instead of Sam. It just feels right.

“How’s my favorite little girl?” Uncle Sammy asks, his voice quiet enough that only Dean, the blonde lady, and Grace can hear him.

“I missed you,” Grace says, squeezing into the hug. “How were your big tests?”

Uncle Sammy pulls back from the hug and smiles at her. Grace tugs lightly on a strand of his long hair, something she’d done hundreds of times when Sammy visited last month. The blonde lady giggles when she does that. The rest of the classroom seems to be too focused on playing to pay any attention to them. For all the attention Uncle Sammy got when he arrived, everyone’s moved on.

“Eh, they weren’t too bad,” Uncle Sammy says.

“Not too bad?” Dean asks, a proud smile gracing his lips. “I’m sure you made those finals your bi– I mean, you aced those tests.”

Uncle Sammy shrugs, a dopey smile on his face. “Grace, would you like to meet my fiancé?” Grace’s eyes widen and she nods her head enthusiastically. Uncle Sammy stands back up and interlocks his fingers with the blonde lady’s. “This is Jess, we’re going to be getting married next summer.”

“Hello,” Grace says, holding out her hand like she’s seen her father do whenever he meets new people. Jess laughs and shakes Grace’s hand before pulling her in for a hug.

Jess smells nice; she smells like flowers. “I’m so glad that I’m finally meeting you,” Jess says, smiling at Grace. “Sam’s talked about you so much.”

“Are you and Uncle Sammy going to teach with Mr. Winchester?” Grace asks. She pushes out her bottom lip and widens her eyes innocently. “Please?”

Uncle Sammy laughs and ruffles her hair. “That’s what we’re here for.”

Grace squeals again, jumping up and down in excitement. If only Daddy and Uncle Gabe were here to help teach too.

“Yay!” Grace claps, a pleased glint in her eyes. She grabs Uncle Sammy’s and Jess’s hands and leads them to Hannah. “C’mon, Uncle Sammy and Auntie Jess, you gotta meet my best friend!”

Hannah blinks up at them with wide brown eyes, just barely hidden by her bangs. Her pink Crayola crayon is clutched in between her fingers, as she’s halfway through coloring in a flamingo.

“Hannah,” Grace says, narrowly avoiding sniffling. She’s had a minor cold ever since the Incident We Don’t Speak Of, but so far it’s only been annoying rather than sickening. “This is my Uncle Sammy and Auntie Jess!”

Hannah blinks and looks at them blankly before her entire face breaks out into a smile. “You’re Mr. Winchester’s brother?”

Sam smiles and nods. “The one and only. Jess is my fiancé.”

Dean walks over and hands an expo marker to Uncle Sammy. “You two wanna teach the class some new spelling words?”

Uncle Sammy takes the marker and heads over to the whiteboard with a wave to Grace and Hannah. Jess sits down at the desk next to them and grabs a few crayons to color with.

“Are you two excited for the end of the year? Only another month until you’re third graders.”

Grace and Hannah nod, both fear and excitement shining in their eyes. As much as she doesn’t want to have a new teacher – Dean’s the best – the year needs to end so that Daddy and Dean don’t need to hide their relationship. Plus, then Grace can call Mr. Winchester Dean all the time. After that, Daddy and Dean can get married and have more kids and they’ll all be one big family. Maybe Grace does want the school year to be over.

“I want my Daddy and Dean to be happy, and that means the end of the school year,” Grace says.

Jess scrunches her forehead and chews on her bottom lip. “But do _you_ want the year to be over?”

“ _Yes._ ”

“Me too,” Hannah says. “As long as I get into the same third grade class as Grace next year.”

Jess smiles then, all hesitation gone from her features. “I’m sure Dean can pull a few strings.”

Grace is going to respond that she hopes so, but then Dean clears his throat at the front of the classroom and calls everyone’s attention. Jess gets up and gives Benny – who was playing with toy trucks with Alfie – his seat back.

Benny leans over and whispers to Hannah and Grace, “Who are they?”

“Mr. Winchester’s little brother and his fiancé,” Hannah whispers back. Hannah and Benny are still dating, and sometimes it makes Grace feel a bit like a third wheel, but it’s usually fun. And better yet, Dean barely ever catches them passing notes anymore. Or maybe he doesn’t mind.

Uncle Sammy starts drawing vocab words on the whiteboard in the form of pictures and asking anyone if they know how to spell them. Hannah knows how to spell every single one of the words, but she’s shy so she only whispers the spellings to Grace and Benny.

They do spellings until lunch time, which is only another twenty five minutes. When they’re all headed to the cafeteria to eat lunch, Grace stops at Dean’s desk and tells Hannah and Benny to go along to lunch. Uncle Sammy and Auntie Jess are talking together while Dean is sitting at his desk looking at his phone.

“Are you texting my Daddy?”

Dean blushes and rubs the back of his neck. “Yeah.”

“What are you texting about?” Grace asks, rocking back and forth on her heels.

“Ummm…” Dean’s face burns even brighter. “Eating out.”

Uncle Sammy chokes and starts coughing, causing Dean’s face to burn impossibly redder. What’s so funny? Auntie Jess is stifling her own laughter with a hand over her mouth to hold back any sounds.

“What are you going to be eating?” Grace asks. Last week Daddy and Dean went out to dinner and Uncle Gabe stayed home with Grace. Daddy came back and gave Grace half of his French Fries and his pickle slice.

“Cas,” Dean answers, as if on impulse. “…serole. Casserole.”

Uncle Sammy’s leaning on Auntie Jess, and at this point Grace is starting to worry that he can’t breathe. Dean looks so embarrassed for some reason, but Grace doesn’t know why. Is he embarrassed that he’s taking Daddy out to dinner?

“Grace, why don’t you go to lunch now, okay?” Dean asks. “Maybe Sammy and Jess will join everyone during recess.”

Grace blinks her eyes innocently, trying to mimic the look she’s seen her Daddy do whenever he really wants her to clean her room. “Please?”

Jess smiles. “Of course we can.”

 

**~~*~~*~~*~~*~~**

 

“You’re sexting Grace’s dad in school and telling her about it?” Sam gasps, still choking back his laughter.

Dean scowls and looks down at his desk. He hadn’t meant to tell Grace what they were texting about. He was going to make something up, something believable. It’s just a good thing that eating out also means at a restaurant or Cas never would have forgiven him.

“I didn’t mean to, Samantha,” Dean glowers. He has three new text messages from Cas. Besides, this whole thing is Cas’s fault anyway. They were talking about how Cas was on the ping pong team in high school and then suddenly they started talking about rimming. All Cas’s fault. Completely his. “And we weren’t sexting, we were just talking about it.”

Jess raises an eyebrow doubtfully. Dean rolls his eyes. “C’mon guys, I work with kids. No sexting.”

“Whatever you say, Dean,” Jess sing-songs. Dean checks his messages and nearly chokes on his own tongue. Maybe they are sexting.

_Gotta get back to work, talk later._

_Isn’t it your lunch?_

_Code red._

_OH_

When Dean looks back up, Sam is mostly composed, if not still working a slight flush to his skin. Even though he’s a pain in the ass – like right now – it’s good to have Sammy back home. He and Jess are staying at Dean’s house until they can find an apartment of their own. He’s got plenty of extra room at the house, enough to fit at least a family of six.

“You guys gotta eat within the next twenty minutes if we want to hang out with the kids during recess.”

They all eat quickly, chatting about the class and what they’ll have to do after recess is over. All the kids seem to like Sammy and Jess. They certainly are paying more attention than they tend to with just Dean teaching them.

When recess rolls around, the three of them head outside to meet all the kids. Usually Dean spends this time hanging out with Charlie, but she took today off to take care of Dorothy, who just had surgery on her wrist.

Dean spots Grace, Hannah, Benny, and Alfie on the swings first. Benny and Alfie are pushing the girls, while the two girls giggle and yell for them to push harder. Grace’s blonde hair glints in the sunlight, her expression is pure happiness. Not for the first time since the Incident We Don’t Speak Of, Dean’s overcome with relief. He has no idea what he would have done if they hadn’t gotten Grace back. Dean would have been a mess, but Cas…

Dean doesn’t even want to think about that.

Grace spots them and screams, jumping off the swing at its apex and running toward them. Her outburst caught the attention of a bunch of the other kids, who all run toward them too.

One of the kids – of course it’s Alfie – somehow manages to try and climb Sammy. And once Alfie starts, the rest of the kids all join in, too.

Dean and Jess are worthless help; they’re laughing too much.

 

**~~*~~*~~*~~*~~**

 

Cas sighs and rolls his eyes. It’s only ten am and he already wants to go home. Crowley’s been worse than usual today, grazing his fingers up his back every time he passes him. The touch is just light enough that Cas can’t be sure if he’s making it up or not. It’s infuriating.

Ridiculously, Crowley gave him three days’ worth of work to do by lunch. Ever since Cas left without an explanation when Grace was… when the Incident We Don’t Speak Of happened…Crowley’s been insatiable. He’s found new ways to irk Castiel, always being subtle enough that Cas can’t call him out on any of it.

Last week, Cas had to suffer through three days full of raunchy innuendoes, but none of them could be filed under harassment. What’s worse, is that Crowley’s been trying to get Cas to extend his hours. When he made the mistake of mentioning Dean in passing a few weeks ago, Crowley turned off the air conditioning in the front section where Cas works. By the time he clocked out, he was sweating as if he’d gone running.

But it doesn’t matter, because Cas doesn’t have time to huff about Crowley. Not when his job is on the line. Yesterday, Cas had tried to sext Dean, but the teacher had called a code red. Cas still isn’t sure what happened, but it worked out because Crowley had come out not two minutes later and demanded that Cas come into his office to look over a few documents.

Cas can’t risk something happening today.

“Oh, Cassie,” Crowley sings, making Cas’s spine shiver. And not in the good way. “I need your assistance.”

Rolling his eyes to himself, Cas gets up from his desk and makes his way over to Crowley’s office. The man probably wants another coffee or something. No matter how many times Cas tells him that he isn’t his assistant, the man just doesn’t seem to get it.

Crowley’s sitting at his desk, eyes boring over stacks of papers littering his desk top. “Darling, could you do me a favor and grab my phone and send a text to my dear old bitch of a mother. I’m skipping our family dinner tonight and need to let her know so she doesn’t curse me for eternity.”

Really, what the hell?

“Of course,” Cas says, grabbing Crowley’s phone and clicking on the text messaging app. Is it so much for Crowley to take ten seconds away from his work and text his mother? Honestly, the man takes out enough time to harass Cas that he must have time to spare.

Cas clicks the icon to create a new message and puts in _M_ , but then pauses. His entire world narrows down into one moment, and he swears he can hear something ringing in his ears. The first name under _M_ is Meg. Cas shakes his head; it can’t be Meg. Not _the_ Meg. Not the one who’s ripped Cas’s life apart right in front of him so many times. Not the one who’s rotting in jail.

Barely breathing, Cas clicks on the name and the conversation pops up.

_The fucking little bitch got away from me! FIND GRACE BEFORE CAS DOES OR I SWEAR FERGUS I’LL MAKE YOUR LIFE A LIVING HELL_

He’s going to throw up.

“Clarence, what’s wrong?”

Cas reels backwards, hitting the wall with his back and sliding towards the door. Crowley just called him Clarence, and this time he’s sure of it.

“Y-you’re working with Meg,” Cas stutters.

Crowley grimaces, looking back down at his paperwork before looking back up with a grin plastered on his lips. “Looks like you caught me, Cassie.”

Cas shakes his head, mostly to himself. He hates Crowley, he always has, but never would he have thought the man capable of this.

“I supplied Meg with the location to bring your little brat,” Crowley spits, standing up and walking closer to Cas. “I can’t believe she got away from Meg. You see, Meg and I go way back. She’s known me longer than she’s known you.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“Because I help Meg with her belongings, and you, little Cassie, belong to Meg. Even your little bitch belongs to her.”

Cas feels a rush of anger. “Do not speak of Grace that way.”

Crowley laughs, his eyes darker than usual. “What are you going to do about it? Call your big, strong boyfriend and have him beat me up? I’ll be out of the country by the time he gets here, darling.”

Crowley doesn’t see the punch coming. In fact, neither does Cas. Anger is just bubbling in his chest and suddenly it’s too much. The snap of his knuckles against Crowley’s nose burns, but god, does it feel good. The next few punches come as a surprise, too.

By the time Cas realizes what he’s doing, he’s sitting over Crowley and his knuckles are bloody. They aren’t broken, not like Meg’s after she punched Dean in the jaw. Crowley isn’t even conscious anymore. For a brief moment, horror floods Cas’s senses, but it’s quickly blinded by anger. This man helped abduct Grace. He deserved every punch Cas sent out.

Stumbling off of the unconscious man, Cas goes over to his desk and blindly reaches out for his phone, his eyes plastered to Crowley’s body. When his shaking fingers finally find the device, he tears his eyes away from Crowley and quickly dials Gabriel’s number. At the first sign of trouble, his older brother is always the first person Cas will go to.

“ _Helloooo, Cassie,_ ” Gabriel says over the line.

“Gabriel,” Cas says, his voice somehow devoid of all emotion. “I need you to come to King’s Pawn Shop immediately.”

There’s a rustle followed by, “ _I’m on my way._ ”

Ten minutes later, Gabriel is standing by Cas as they both stare down at Crowley, who’s still unconscious.

Gabe pokes Crowley in the side with his foot. “You did this?”

“He could have gotten Grace killed.”

Whatever small traces of guilt were working their way through Cas’s mind before are completely gone by now. Crowley’s always been a dick, and even if Cas never saw this coming, though he should have, the man deserves it. He deserves to rot in jail beside Meg.

Gabriel nods, still staring down at Crowley. He claps a hand on Cas’s shoulder and swallows. “We better report this. I doubt you’ll be charged with anything.”

While Cas agrees that Crowley wouldn’t be stupid enough to press charges, it still bothers him. If he were to get any more caught up in all of this, then he might get taken away from Grace. Obviously, that’s the last thing he wants.

When, a half hour later, a few police officers come to take Crowley away after Cas’s call, he’s relieved from all worry. Apparently, Crowley’s been working under a false name and has actually been wanted for multiple other abductions throughout the state of Kansas.

Fergus really is quite the ugly name.

There’s no way in Hell that Crowley would be able to get bail.

The only problem with this whole situation is that now Cas has no work. King’s Pawn Shop was the only place that could work with his hours, but without Crowley, there’s no one else to run the business. His pawn shop isn’t on the top of the list of the police station’s priorities, so they tell him to take a few days off while they settle everything.

_Maybe I do need a vacation._

“Castiel,” Gabriel says, pulling Cas out of his thoughts. They’re standing outside of King’s Pawn Shop – they have been for a while – and it’s starting to rain. “Are you going to be okay?”

“Huh?” Cas looks up from where he’d been staring at a puddle and meets his older brother’s eyes. Ah, there’s the expression Gabriel used to wear after their parents left. Gabriel’s words process through Cas’s mind, albeit a little late. “Yes, I’ll be fine.”

Gabriel looks doubtful. To be honest, Cas feels doubtful.

“We aren’t telling Grace about this, are we?” Gabe asks.

Cas spares one final look at the pawn shop and then shakes his head. She doesn’t need to know.

 

**~~*~~*~~*~~*~~**

 

“So, you aren’t gonna tell her?” Dean asks. Cas shrugs, sinking down into his knees even more. The two of them are leaning against the headboard of Cas’s bed while Gabe’s off picking Grace up from a play date at Hannah’s house. Dean had heard all about their plans earlier today during snack time. “It’s been three days, Cas. I can see it eating away at you.”

Dean noticed there was something off about Cas as soon as he picked up Grace from school three days ago and left immediately. Principal Mosely hasn’t been keeping an eye on them nearly as much as she had been before, which often gave them plenty of time to talk while Grace played with Hannah. However, on Tuesday, Cas ran in, picked up Grace, waved hello to Dean, then practically ran right back outside. He’d texted later saying that he’d explain everything when he got the time, but it still unnerved Dean.

“I can’t, Dean,” Cas whispers. He’s staring down at his knees where they’re folded in front of his face. His knuckles are slightly bruised, but he mostly left the fight clean. From what Cas told him, it wasn’t really much of a fight. Crowley must have been too stunned to have realized that Cas would fight back. “She’s already putting the whole thing behind her, I can’t be the one to bring it back into her life.”

As much as Dean understands Cas’s intentions, he can’t help but feel that this will all come back to bite Cas in the ass. If Grace finds out before Cas tells her, then she’s going to get even more upset than she would if Cas just were to tell her now.

“Listen man,” Dean says, his fingers idly twirling around Cas’s. “Do what you gotta do, but think it through, alright?”

There’s a silence between them, presumably both of them thinking too much. Dean definitely is.

“Whatever you chose to do, I’ll support you.”

Cas looks up from his knees then, his eyes distant and cloudy. “Thank you.”

They’re quiet for a while after that, content to simply sit in each other’s presence. It’s not until Grace comes barreling into the bedroom that Dean realizes that he’d been nodding off against Cas.

“Daddy!” Grace jumps onto the bed and hugs her father. Cas visibly brightens, hugging her back. “I gotstah show you my painting of a guinea pig!”

“Did you paint it at school?” Cas asks.

Dean smiles while watching the exchange. Today at school he’d asked the students to pain their favorite animals. Unfortunately, he hadn’t anticipated the number of lions that were painted.

Grace pulls the painting – now dry, of course – out of her bag and shows Cas. Being the wonderful father that he is, Cas swoons over it and tells her to get some tape so that they can hang it up. A sense of something, let it be accomplishment or pride, settles in Dean’s chest. That’s what being a teacher’s all about, the look of pure glee on Grace’s face as she runs to fetch the tape.

“What does Grace think is the reason for why you’re not working right now?” Dean asks once he’s sure that Grace is far enough away to not be able to hear him.

Cas chews on his bottom lip. “I said that my boss is closing the shop for a few weeks and that it would be re-opened soon. Umm, but until then I’ll be home.” Cas looks back up into Dean’s eyes. He looks so raw. “I mean, it isn’t all a lie. Someone’s going to purchase King’s Pawn Shop, and, or, the club underneath, and they’ll probably keep me.”

“What are you going to do until then?”

Cas sighs heavily, folding his arms over his knees and resting his chin on top. He closes his eyes. “I don’t know.”

“You could go on my class’s field trip with us next week?” Dean asks.

One piercing blue eye pops open and Cas cocks an eyebrow. “I thought you were asking job-wise.”

Dean rubs the back of his neck, suddenly afraid that Cas will reject the idea of chaperoning the field trip. “I was, but, uh…I’d wanted to ask you to be one of the other chaperones for a while now and it just seemed like a good time and it’s totally okay if you say no and I won’t be offen-”

Dean’s effectively silenced by soft lips meeting his own. Cas pulls away once Dean relaxes into it and closes his eyes.

“I’d love to.”

 

**~~*~~*~~*~~*~~**

 

“Starship commanders, round up!” Dean shouts, moving his group of students to the side of the building and counting heads. Once he counts nineteen students, and gets the positive from Charlie that she has all twenty two of her students, they split back up.

Cas is responsible for nine second graders, including Grace and Hannah. Who knew that large groups of kids were so hard to look after? Already Metatron – and really, who names their kid Metatron? – has tried to run away three times.

He somewhat regrets accepting Dean’s offer to chaperone their field trip to the planetarium.

Dean watches over the other nine students from his class, while Charlie and her wife Dorothy both split Charlie’s class. If Cas ever thought that looking after Grace was difficult, he had no idea compared to forty students.

“Let’s go look at some exhibits!” Charlie shouts, causing everyone to cheer. They all enter the museum section of the planetarium and stay in their groups. Dean and Cas’s tend to stay near each other, which allows them to talk.

“I told her,” Cas whispers while the students are all enthralled by a blinking monitor of the stars.

Dean tilts his head to the side. “Told who what?”

Cas fidgets his fingers, gripping them and releasing them. “I told Grace about Crowley.”

Dean stops where he’s walking. “Oh.”

“Yeah.”

The kids make their way farther down the hall and onto the next main exhibit. Grace, Hannah, Benny, and Alfie all stay together, even though Alfie and Benny are in Dean’s group.

“How’d she take it?” Dean asks.

Cas chews on his bottom lip. It really wasn’t as bad as he thought it would have been. “She slept in my bed last night for the first time in almost three years.”

Dean frowns, a warm expression in his eyes. “I’m sorry, Cas.”

“Don’t be,” Cas says. “And besides, it wasn’t too bad. She’s just concerned is all.”

As she should be. He still can’t believe that he was working with that monster for months before he found out Crowley was in cahoots with Meg.

Cas smiles to himself despite the thoughts of Meg and Crowley. Grace is staring up in wonder at a piece of moon rock behind glass. Back in Boston, Grace used to love going to the Museum of Science. At least once a month they would walk through the exhibits and watch a show. Maybe they can come back to this one over the summer.

They’re all looking at a rotating diorama of the planets when it happens.

“It isn’t right,” a little girl mutters.

Grace crosses her arms in front of her chest and stares down the opposing girl. _Oh, this is bad._ Cas has seen that look many a time when Grace hasn’t wanted to go to bed.

“Yes it is, Amelia,” Grace says. Her voice is low, much too low for any seven year old’s to be. “They love each other and nothing you say can change that.”

Amelia looks shaken for a moment, but then she gets mad. Cas looks to Dean, but Dean looks just as shocked.

“Mr. Winchester and your daddy do NOT love each other!” Amelia shouts. “That’s gross and if they do then they’re both…they’re – my mommy and daddy said they’re –”

Cas knows what she’s going to say even before she says it.

“They’re both faggots!”

Even knowing that she was going to say it, all the air rushes out of Cas at once. That word’s been shouted at him before, beaten into him throughout high school. The sick twist in his stomach threatens to make him throw up. How a parent can teach their child to say such things…to believe such things – it’s disgusting.

Dean’s shaking beside him, his anger barely controlled. Cas knows he isn’t nearly as angry with Amelia as he is with her parents. She doesn’t know any better, not when her parents are feeding her such lies every day.

What Cas isn’t expecting is for Grace to punch Amelia right in the stomach. Cas and Dean both rush forward at the same time, holding back both girls as the rest of the class watches on in shock. Dean grabs Amelia while Cas holds back his daughter, who’s kicking out and whining.

Cas doesn’t look back as he takes Grace across the hall and to another exhibit. He sits her down in front of him and kneels down to be at her level.

He’s angry at her for punching another child, he’s taught her better than that. And yet…

“She was saying mean things about you and Dean, Daddy,” Grace whispers, her eyes glossy with unshed tears. “I couldn’t let her say those things!”

Cas looks down at her and chews his lip. He knows that violence isn’t the answer, and Grace definitely knows it too. But somehow he can’t find it in him to truly be angry with her. What Amelia was saying was wrong and hurtful, and she doesn’t even understand it.

“It’s alright, Angel,” Cas says, wrapping his arms around her and bringing her in for a hug. Grace hugs him back tightly, lightly sniffling against his shoulder. “I appreciate you looking out for me and I know what Amelia said was bad, but you can’t just punch anyone who doesn’t agree with who I am.”

Grace sniffles and pulls back in the hug so that she can see into Cas’s eyes. “Why not, Daddy?”

“Well for starters,” Cas smiles, bopping Grace on the nose with the tip of his own. Grace giggles, even though Cas knows she’s still upset. “There would be a lot of people you’d have to punch. Besides, violence never helps.”

“Alright,” Grace grumbles. They spend another few minutes sitting together in the corner of an exhibit before Grace has gathered herself and then they head back to the group. Cas won’t admit it, but he’s so proud of his little girl right now.

Amelia isn’t crying, which is always a plus. Thank god. Cas can see right through Dean’s thin veil of concern. Yes, he is concerned that Amelia isn’t hurt, but the anger is simmering underneath. From what Dean told him, he grew up in a pretty accepting community. Cas wasn’t so lucky.

Dean takes Grace’s hand and leads her to Amelia. “I need you both to apologize,” Dean tells them. “It isn’t right to call people names and it isn’t right to punch people.”

Grace grumbles in Dean’s hold and stares at the ground. Amelia sniffles, which really isn’t necessary, and crosses her arms in front of her. Grace locks eyes with Cas and he nods, encouraging her to be the bigger person and to apologize.

“I’m sorry for hitting you,” Grace mumbles. Cas smiles, proud of his little girl.

Dean nudges Amelia when she doesn’t apologize. Amelia rolls her eyes and squints down at the floor. “I’m sorry for calling your daddy and Mr. Winchester names.”

The two girls shake hands and then Dean lets them part. The rest of the class looks away and pretends to have been looking at the exhibits the entire time.

“You handled that well,” Cas whispers to Dean once the class is _actually_ back to looking at the exhibits.

Dean shrugs, watching a few students who are starting to wander a little farther away from the group than is necessary. “It’s not the first time something like that has happened.”

“Really?” How many second graders are getting into fights over this? And all because of the parents, too.

Dean sighs and shakes his head. “It’s a shame.”

 

**~~*~~*~~*~~*~~**

 

They all idly walk through the museum exhibits for another hour or so before the planetarium opens up and they’re ushered into their seats. They do another head count and when no one is found missing, Dean and Cas sit on one side of the audience while Charlie and Dorothy sit on the other.

“No making out,” Dean warns the two ladies. Charlie rolls her eyes at Dean but winks at Cas, which causes him to start laughing. “What?” Dean asks.

Cas smiles and takes Dean’s hand. “Nothing, babe.”

“Babe?” Dean smirks. Cas feels himself blush. _Dammit,_ he’s never used that pet name with Dean before.“That’s new.”

Cas rolls his eyes but ends up laughing when Dean pokes him in the stomach. “You’re one to talk, _my sweet summer child._ ”

“Hey!” Dean squeaks. “That’s a Game of Thrones reference, alright? Besides, it was _one time._ ”

“Doesn’t matter,” Cas teases. “It still happened.”

Dean grumbles to himself, but lucky for both of them, the announcer chooses that moment to start talking to the classes.

“Welcome everyone,” the announcer begins, but Cas tunes her out. He’s heard these cheesy intros about a thousand times already. Eventually, the announcer leaves the stage and the movie begins.

Flashes of stars and galaxies go by, the students gazing in wonder up at the giant wide screens. Cas watches on as a shooting star flies across the screen from one end of the planetarium to the other. The voice actor speaks in amazed tones, educating them all on the vastness and beauty of the universe.

The speaker goes on, her soft voice booming through the planetarium. “Plato once said, ‘Astronomy compels the soul to look upward, and leads us from this world to another.’ He knew that we look up at the sky and see a whole new world, one that we are familiar with, yet know nothing about.”

“Isn’t this amazing?” Cas turns and whispers to Dean, only for his mouth to snap closed and his eyelids to blink slowly. Dean’s eyes are planted on Cas, probably have been for a while now, and they’re clouded. “Dean, are you alright?”

Dean blinks the cloudiness away, but his lips remain slightly parted.

“I love you,” Dean whispers. The words are whispered so softly that Cas barely hears them. Surely his brain is being overactive, there’s no way that Dean actually said it. But no, Dean’s expression is so open and raw that it has to be true. Cas blushes, and even though it’s dark, he knows that Dean can see the red tinge work its way across his skin. His brain decides to stop functioning properly and he has to make an effort to actually breathe.

“Dean…”

“No, Cas,” Dean cuts him off. Even through the darkness, Cas can still see the bright green of Dean’s eyes. They’re shining. “You’re beautiful, in every sense of the word.”

Cas swallows and manages a small smile. “So are you, Dean.”

Cas licks his lips, more of a nervous tick than a need to soothe dry lips, and leans in closer to Dean. He’s so focused on the man in front of him that he doesn’t realize that a few of the students are watching them instead of the presentation.

Dean reaches his fingers out and grazes them across Cas’s cheek, causing him to close his eyes against stupid tears that are threatening to fall from his eyes. “Being with you is like being strapped to a comet,” Dean whispers. Cas cracks one eye open and raises a brow, making Dean smile. “In the best way possible.”

One of them leans forward, or maybe it’s both of them, and then they’re barely millimeters apart. Their fingers interlock and once more Cas’s vision narrows to just Dean.

“I love you.”

It’s as if a weight has been lifted from Cas’s shoulders at hearing the words again and suddenly he’s so fucking happy that he can’t control it. He surges forward and captures Dean’s lips with his own, trying and failing to wire all of his thoughts into Dean’s mind.

“God, I love you, too,” Cas whispers between kisses. “So much, Dean. So much.”

Everything stays chaste, they barely remember that they’re in a room full of second graders. He loses track of time, losing himself in everything Dean, but at some point their legs are twisted between them and the lights are turning back on. Cas breaks away from Dean and beams, their foreheads resting against each other.

“I love you so much, Castiel.”

Cas could cry, he’s so happy. “I love you too, Dean.”

 

**~~*~~*~~*~~*~~**

“She did what?” Uncle Gabe shouts, eyes bugged out after Daddy told him what happened during the field trip.

“Grace punched a fellow classmate, and I believe, friend, because they were being homophobic.”

Uncle Gabe looks from Grace to Daddy and back again a few times. Slowly, a wicked grin graces his lips. Without warning, Grace is being swept off her feet and tossed up into the air only to be caught by Uncle Gabe.

“My sweet, perfect, little niece,” Uncle Gabe coos as he swings Grace around. Grace giggles, Uncle Gabe’s fingers tickling around her stomach. “Brought to us from the heavens to protect our dear little Cassie!”

Grace giggles harder, clutching to Uncle Gabe’s neck so that she doesn’t fall. Daddy rolls his eyes but he’s smiling nonetheless.

“What would we do without you?” Uncle Gabe asks, placing a big wet kiss to her hair.

“Ewww, Uncle Gabe!” Grace squeals, wiggling in his hold. Uncle Gabe erupts into maniacal laughter and sets Grace down on the couch. All three of them are collapsed on the couch laughing, Grace right in between Daddy and Uncle Gabe.

“I love you guys,” Grace says. She means it, she really does. Without them, she doesn’t know where she’d be. _Maybe with Meg._ Grace barely resists the urge to shiver.

Daddy’s eyes soften and his expression turns positively warm. “I love you, too, Angel.”

Uncle Gabe ruffles her hair and passes her a lollipop. “And you’re my favorite niece.”

Grace rolls her eyes and accepts the candy. “I’m your _only_ niece.”


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well guys, it's been four and a half months, but this story is finally complete. :) I loved writing every word of it and it's bittersweet to be finished. I'd like to thank each and every one of you that's taken this journey with me, and for anyone who hasn't been here since the beginning, I'd like to thank you also. All of your kudos and comments make my day, every single time, and I could never thank all of you enough for how much it means to me that you've read this story.  
> With that said, I wish you all a happy Father's Day, and I hope you enjoy the last chapter of this story! <3

“We’ll still play during the summer, right?”

Grace smiles, twirling around in her bright purple skirt. “Of course, Hannah. Who else would spy on Uncle Gabe with me?” Although, they had gotten caught the last time. The Tickle Monster made another appearance that day. Even the memory of it makes Grace wrap her hands protectively around her stomach and giggle.

“And we’re still going to go LARPing with your daddy and Dean?”

“Hey! That’s Mr. Winchester to you two for another six minutes,” Dean interrupts them. Grace bops him on the nose with her magic wand – the one that Daddy gave her yesterday specifically for the last day of school – and he scrunches his nose. “I let you guys get away with too much this year, didn’t I?”

Grace shakes her head and Hannah says “Not at all” convincingly. Or maybe not, because Dean sees right through it and laughs.

“Did you girls clear out everything from your cubbies?” Dean asks.

They both nod and then Dean moves onto the next group of kids to check that they have everything also. Today’s a half day, which means that they get out of school extra early. Daddy’s going to pick up Grace, Hannah, Benny, and Alfie and they’re all going to go out to lunch together. Grace tried to get Dean to go with them when he was at their apartment yesterday, but he said that he has to stay at the school even after the kids leave. That doesn’t seem very fair.

Daddy’s new work starts next week, so this is the last week that Grace gets to keep Daddy all to herself. When he goes back to work, he’ll have longer hours than he did before under that poop bag Crowley. Grace still gets angry when she thinks of him. There’s more to his story than what Daddy told her, but she’s smart enough not to ask. Maybe he’ll tell her when she’s older.

Anyway, he’ll have to leave for work at eight thirty every weekday and he won’t get home until after five. Uncle Gabe can manipulate his schedule on most days so that Grace won’t be alone, but the other times Dean’s going to look after her. Already they’ve planned a few things they want to do, like going to the zoo, going swimming in Dean’s backyard pool, and watching all eight Harry Potter movies in a row. Daddy doesn’t have much confidence in the last one. He says that Grace doesn’t have a long enough attention span, but she’s going to prove him wrong.

“Grace, your dad’s here,” Metatron says, walking over to her and Hannah and pointing to the doorway, effectively pulling Grace back to the present. Daddy waves from where he’s standing and Grace squeals. She runs up to him and he catches her in his arms, bringing her up to lean on his hip. He isn’t dressed in his usual suit and trench coat, instead in a pair of old jeans and an AC/DC t-shirt.

“Hello, Angel,” Daddy says, kissing Grace on the top of the head. “You having fun in class?”

Grace nods enthusiastically. “Yes, Daddy.” She cocks her head to the side and squints up at him. Daddy mocks the gesture with his matching blue eyes. “Why aren’t you waiting in the lobby with everyone else?”

Daddy shuffles her on his hip and grunts. “You’re getting too big for this,” he mumbles. “I wanted to come and see you and no one was stopping me.”

Grace giggles, glad that her dad snuck upstairs to see her. But she doesn’t believe him. At least, not entirely.

“Are you sure you didn’t come up here to see your _boyfriend?_ ”

Daddy tilts his head and widens his eyes in mock embarrassment. “Grace?” he asks with fake dramatics. “How could you accuse me of something like that?”

Grace wiggles in his grip and Daddy sets her down. She squints at him and crinkles her nose, waving her magic wand around. “Go see your prince charming, Daddy.”

And with that, Grace turns around and skips back to Hannah, who’s currently talking to Benny. Out of the corner of her eye, Grace sees Daddy walk over to Dean and say hello. They don’t kiss, though, because Dean could get in trouble because he’s Grace’s teacher. And because they’re in front of the entire class and everyone cheered them on after the planetarium field trip and tried to get them to kiss again. Dean had threatened no recess for an entire week unless everyone stayed quiet in their seats on the bus that day.

Indoor recess started the following Monday.

“Where are we going to go for lunch?” Benny asks.

Grace notices that he and Hannah are holding hands. They’re sort of a weird couple, but Grace thinks they’re cute together. Hannah says she wants to have play dates with Benny over the summer, but her mom said only if Grace went over too.

“The Roadhouse,” Hannah says.

“Mr. Winchester used to work there when he was in college,” Grace tells them. Dean said that they could get a good discount and that Ellen would probably recognize Daddy. Grace isn’t sure why because she and Daddy have never been there, but she didn’t question it.

Before any of them can respond, the bell rings, signaling the end of the school day and also the end of the school year. The entire class cheers and runs for the door in a mad dash of summer fueled insanity. Grace grabs Hannah’s hand and they squeal as they run down the stairs with the rest of the kids, all headed to the front doors to meet their parents.

So caught up in the rush that is the last day of school, Grace completely forgets that her dad’s already upstairs. By the time that they’re in the lobby looking for him, Principal Mosely is standing at the bottom of the stairs watching them.

Grace swallows heavily and whispers “She’s onto us,” before trying to subtly walk past her. No such luck.

“Looking for your father, Miss Novak?” Principal Mosely asks.

Like a deer in the headlights, Grace nods. A content, and slightly smug, expression fixes itself across Principal Mosely’s lips. “Then I suggest we look in a certain Dean Winchester’s classroom, why don’t we?”

The four of them follow Principal Mosely back up the stairs and down the hall, huddling together in fear of her power. They’re all scared that they could get in trouble somehow, but Grace is especially scared for her daddy and Dean. Even though school is technically over and Dean’s no longer her teacher, they could still get in trouble.

What if Principal Mosely forces Dean to break up with Daddy?

Cold, rigid fear slides icily down Grace’s body from the nape of her neck. Principal Mosely can’t do that, can she?

Once they reach the front door of the classroom, Principal Mosely stops and the rest of them narrowly avoid slamming into her. Grace peeks around Principal Mosely’s leg and can’t help the soft smile that spreads across her lips.

The sun is shining in from one of the large windows, filtering over Daddy and Dean’s happy faces where they’re both leaning against the front of Dean’s desk. Dean says something that makes Daddy laugh and only then does Grace realize that they’re also holding hands.

Grace wants to call out and tell Daddy and Dean that Principal Mosely can see them, but she knows it won’t help. They haven’t noticed the principal’s presence yet and they look too happy for Grace to ruin the moment.

Unfortunately, nothing can last forever. Principal Mosely clears her throat and the moment is shattered like glass thrown against a wall. Daddy and Dean both glance over to the door and Grace can pinpoint the exact moment they realize they might be in trouble. Daddy’s face drops and Dean looks down at the ground before squeezing Daddy’s hand and then letting go.

“Hey, Ms. Mosely,” Dean says, trying for casual as he walks over to them all and ushers them inside. “What’s up?”

“I found this group of kids downstairs looking for Mr. Novak,” Principal Mosely says, her accent drawling her words. “Had a feeling he’d be up here with you.”

Dean takes a slight step back and looks to the wall before looking back at his boss. Daddy’s standing up now, no longer leaning against Dean’s desk. He looks…uncertain.

Dean huffs what Grace supposes is meant to be a laugh and rubs the back of his neck. “Um, yeah. Cas is just looking at some stuff with me.”

“Oh,” Principal Mosely says, but even Grace can tell she’s faking it. Hannah grabs onto Grace’s hand and squeezes it. When Grace turns back around, the entire group looks scared. They all want everything to be okay and for Daddy and Dean to be together. They’ve listened to Grace go on for hours about how much they love each other and how great life’s going to be once they’re a family.

She never realized how much her friends thought so too.

Benny tugs on the side of Principal Mosely’s pant leg. She turns around and eyes him skeptically, but openly. “Yes?”

Swallowing heavily, Benny gathers his courage. “The school year is over.”

Principal Mosely nods slowly. “Yes, Benny, it is as of a few moments ago.”

“So technically,” Alfie says just as slowly as the principal had nodded, sharing an encouraging look with Benny. “Mr. Winchester isn’t our teacher anymore.”

This earns them another nod along with rapt attention from everyone else in the room.

“Which means that he isn’t _my_ teacher anymore either,” Grace adds. Again, another nod. Principal Mosely must know where they’re going with this, but she doesn’t protest.

“And that there’s nothing against the rules for Grace’s daddy and Mr. Winchester to be in love,” Hannah concludes. They all look up at the principal with pleading eyes, even Daddy and Dean. Her face is a blank mask for a few moments until it softens and she places her hands on her hips.

“Dean Winchester I have never seen you so happy before, but I swear if you break that poor man’s heart, this little girl will make you pay.”

Grace smiles and runs over to Daddy, gripping his leg with her arm. “Mr. Winchester won’t hurt Daddy.”

Principal Mosely levels a look at Dean and points a finger at him. “He won’t, sweetie. Trust me, he won’t.” And with that, Principal Mosely turns around with a final, “Have everything done by six pm so we can lock the school and everyone can go home early.”

They all let out a collective sigh of relief when Principal Mosely leaves. Daddy’s hand falls to Grace’s head and buries itself in her hair. Dean walks over to the door and shuts it softly before turning around with a wide beautiful smile. He walks straight up to Cas and takes his free hand in his before leaning in and kissing him right on the lips. Grace watches in fascination as they kiss right above her. Hannah walks up to her and points at them, an open look of shock written across her face.

“They’re _kissing,_ ” Hannah whispers loudly. “Like my mommy and daddy.” At the planetarium, it was hard to see Dean and Daddy kissing, but here in the classroom it’s extremely vivid.

Dean pulls away from Daddy and laughs, resting his forehead against Daddy’s. “We’re in front of all the kids again,” Dean whispers.

Daddy laughs along with him but then leans back in.

“Mission accomplished?” Hannah asks.

Grace nods, watching as Daddy and Dean kiss chastely. She has no idea whether they’ve admitted their love for each other, but she knows it’s there. Maybe they really can be a family together.

“Yeah,” Grace agrees, slapping Hannah’s offered hand. “Mission accomplished.”

 

**~~*~~*~~*~~*~~**

 

“I want dinosaur nuggets!” Alfie shouts, kneeling on the bench and clutching his cheap restaurant crayons in both fists.

“Alright,” Cas says, already starting to regret letting Grace take her friends with them out to lunch. “But please sit down, Alfie. We don’t want to disrupt everyone else.”

Alfie scrambles down with a mumbled, “Sorry, Mr. Novak,” and continues to grip his crayons tightly. Cas is honestly surprised they aren’t melted yet.

Hannah, Benny, and Alfie are all seated across the table from Cas, Grace, and Gabriel, and Cas is starting to get a head ache. It isn’t as if he doesn’t love children, he does, but four hungry and excited seven and eight year olds is much more than Cas can really deal with. And being honest, Gabriel is very much like a fifth.

“I want mac n cheese,” Hannah says.

“Me too!” Grace squeals. _Like always,_ Cas thinks fondly.

Gabriel snorts and folds his hands together, instantly putting Cas on the edge. Gabriel looks way too content for Cas’s liking – this will lead almost certainly to pranking.

Benny scrunches his forehead and looks closer at the menu. “Can I get chicken fingers?”

“Of course,” Cas says. The waiter comes a few moments later and they all give him their orders. The kids go back to coloring after, even though Alfie is hogging most of their crayons. Even Cas got one of the coloring sheets, a baby koala waving to them from where it’s clinging to a tree with its other arm. Gabriel is fooling around with some app on his phone – Candy Crush, Cas thinks. Typical.

“ _So,_ Mr. Novak,” Alfie starts, not looking up from his koala coloring. “Are you in love with Mr. Winchester?”

Gabriel barks out a laugh and shakes his head. “You have quite the fan club.”

Alfie nods, still concentrating on staying inside the lines. Cas sighs and says, “Well, I do care about him very, very much.”

“Did you tell him you love him yet?” Benny asks. Cas looks down at the table and tilts his head slightly before looking back at the kid. _Yes, and you were there when I did_ , Cas wants to say, but he isn’t sure if it’s acceptable.

Instead, Cas cocks an eyebrow. “Why?”

“Because Grace talks about you two all the time,” Benny says.

Alfie nods and passes a light blue crayon to Grace. “You’re all we talk about during recess.”

“Really?” Cas asks. Does Grace really talk about his relationship with Dean _that_ much? He always knew that she supported their relationship – he wouldn’t be with Dean if she didn’t – but he had no idea she cared about them enough to talk about it with her friends every day.

“Mhm,” Hannah hums. Grace looks like a deer in the headlights when Cas turns to look at her, but once she sees that he isn’t upset, she breaks out in a smile. Gabe is smiling too. “But you didn’t answer the question.”

Grace pokes him in the side and blinks up at him expectantly. “Yeah, Daddy, have you told Dean you love him yet?”

Feeling absolutely uncomfortable with this question, Cas is about to protest when he notices the other three expectant looks in the others’ eyes. Gabriel is the exception since Cas confessed everything to him the night he told Dean he loves him. He acted like a lovesick teenager, telling his older brother everything and smiling like an idiot.

Sighing dramatically, Cas submits.

“Yes,” Cas mumbles, just barely loud enough for them to be able to hear him. But hear him, they do. Hannah and Grace squeal while Benny and Alfie high five each other.

“Did he say he loves you back?” Grace asks, kneeling on the bench now.

“He said he loves me first.”

Grace slams into Cas with a hug, placing an excited kiss onto his cheek. “You’re gonna get married!” she squeals.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Cas says, holding Grace back. “No one said anything about getting married. I haven’t even known Dean for an entire year.”

“Yeah,” Grace says, rolling her eyes and sitting back down. “But you’re _going_ to get married.”

There’s something in Grace’s voice that makes Cas want to believe her.

 

**~~*~~*~~*~~*~~**

 

“You’re here early,” Cas says from the kitchen. Dean toes his shoes off and leaves them by the front door.

“I wanted to see you before I babysit Grace.”

Putting the mail to the side, Cas gets up to greet Dean. He slips his arms around the other man’s torso and kisses him chastely. “She’s still sleeping, but she should be up soon,” Cas says, taking in the other man’s casual appearance. “What do you have planned for the day?”

Dean shrugs and sits down at the kitchen table as Cas heads to the sink. He’s been up since five am stressing about his first day taking care of Grace. It isn’t as if he’s not capable – he obviously is, being a teacher – but that he doesn’t want to mess something up. Everything’s going so well, it would be a shame for something bad to happen now. “I thought that she might want to go to the park or something. If she gets bored we could always come back here or to my place, if that’s okay with you.”

“Of course,” Cas says. “Just let me know first, please.”

“Mhm.”

Cas is busy messing with dishes in the sink, so Dean quietly stands up and settles himself right behind him. He wraps his arms around Cas’s torso and rests his chin on Cas’s shoulder. Cas huffs out a breath of laughter and turns his head to look at Dean.

“Someone’s a little needy today?”

Dean places a chaste little kiss to the side of Cas’s neck before contentedly closing his eyes. “I’ve just missed you, ‘s all.”

Cas sighs and nuzzles his head against Dean’s. When did they get so goddamn domestic? “I know, I’m sorry I’ve been busy as of late.”

“At least Naomi seems like a better boss than Crowley ever was,” Dean whispers. Naomi Truss bought King’s Pawnshop a few weeks ago and kept Cas as the bookkeeper. Cas has been working longer hours trying to keep the company running through the transition, which is great for his position but has meant that he’s been spending more time at work than he has with anyone else. Gabriel had already told Dean that Grace has even noticed how tired Cas has seemed.

“A little strict, but yes, _much_ better than Crowley,” Cas agrees. They’re both silent for a few moments while Cas washes the dishes and Dean hums against Cas’s neck. Cas will need to leave in a little while, but selfishly Dean wants him to stay.

“I wish you didn’t have to go back to work yet,” Dean whispers. Cas pauses where he’s washing a cup and exhales slowly.

Cas turns slightly in Dean’s hold and gazes into his eyes. It used to be unsettling at times, but now Dean craves that look in Cas’s eyes, the one that promises the world.

“I wish I could stay, Dean,” Cas whispers back. After a few moments he says, “Maybe Gabe can watch Grace this weekend and we can have some time alone. Just you and me.”

Dean perks up at this, tilting his head slightly. “Are you sure? You haven’t seen Grace as much as usual and she probably misses you too.”

Cas shrugs and kisses Dean’s cheek. “I see Grace every night, she’ll understand. I love you, I want to see you.”

“I love you too, and that’s why I think we should have one night to ourselves, and then you can spend more time with Grace. She loves you even more than I ever could – you’re her Dad.”

A sweet expression passes over Cas’s features. “She’s my Angel.”

“Exactly,” Dean says, leaning in and kissing the tip of Cas’s nose. After a moment of hesitation, Dean asks, “Why do you call her that?”

“Hmm?” Cas asks, lost in thought. “Call who what?”

Dean readjusts his arms around Cas’s back and moves in closer. “You always call Grace your angel. Is there a reason?”

“Oh,” Cas says, face reddening just slightly. “Because she _is_ my angel. She’s saved me so many times and in so many different ways. I…I don’t know who I’d be without her.”

“Is she your guardian angel?” Dean asks, a playful edge to his voice.

Cas laughs and pushes lightly at Dean’s chest to give himself more room. “My guardian angel on Earth; how about that?”

“Perfect.”

Grace walks into the kitchen then, her long blonde hair an absolute mess and a stuffed guinea pig – Fredrick, Dean remembers – clutched to her chest. When she notices how close Dean and Cas are, her tired face morphs into one of pure joy.

Even though she’s obviously still tired, Grace runs up to Cas and jumps into his arms. Cas picks her up and rests her on his hip. She’s getting too big for that, though. Pretty soon it won’t work and then Cas won’t be able to hold her anymore. For some odd reason, it’s much too depressing a thought for Dean.

Grace presses a sloppy kiss to Cas’s cheek and wraps her arms around his neck. “Morning, Daddy.”

“Good morning, Angel,” Cas says, bopping her on the nose.

“Do you have to go to work today?” Grace asks. Her distress is evident in her features and the way her little fingers grip the base of Cas’s neck. “Why can’t you stay with me and Dean?”

Cas’s face melts and he places a soft kiss to Grace’s forehead. Dean can see all the thoughts running through Cas’s mind, some worse than others.

“I need to go to work today, but I promise you that I’ll be home more soon. Things are complicated at work right now, but it’ll pass.”

Grace frowns but nods her head. “I love you, Daddy.”

“I love you, too.”

Cas sets her back down and she punches Dean playfully in the leg before shuffling over to the fridge. She pulls out a container of strawberry banana yogurt and then grabs a spoon from one of the drawers.

“Is all you want for breakfast yogurt?” Dean asks. Grace blinks up at him slowly, the last few dregs of sleep still clinging to her consciousness. She nods and sits down at the kitchen table, so Dean sits down next to her while she eats.

Cas leaves twenty minutes later, even though Grace makes one final last ditch effort for him to stay. It’s been almost three weeks since school got out and Dean still feels like he should be getting Grace ready to go to class.

“I have an idea,” Grace says suddenly, her voice low and quiet. There’s no one else in the apartment, so there really isn’t any need to whisper.

“Hmm? About what?”

“Well,” Grace says, casting shady looks across the room. “It’s for how you’re going to ask Daddy to marry you.”

Dean’s jaw must be hanging open, it has to be, because there’s no other reason that his mouth would suddenly feel so dry. Grace is still talking, Dean can see her mouth moving, but he can’t understand a word.

“Grace,” Dean interrupts, holding his hands up. “Please stop.”

“Why?” she pouts, crossing her arms in front of her. “I want you to be my second daddy.”

Dean drags a hand down his face and coughs, clearly uncomfortable. If Grace picks up on his discomfort, she ignores it.

“You need to ask Daddy to marry you because I know he’ll be too scared to do it because he doesn’t want to get hurt and he doesn’t want me to get hurt.”

“Grace,” Dean cuts her off. “I love your dad, but I’m not ready to get married.” His voice softens along with the stilted set of his body. “We haven’t even known each other for a full year yet.”

Grace still looks upset by Dean’s lack of compliance so he ruffles her hair and says, “How about you ask me again after you finish third grade? If your dad still loves me then, then we can come up with a plan.”

Her face lights up and she jumps onto him to envelop him into a tight hug. “Of course Daddy will still love you in a year.”

After that, things get a lot better. They do end up going to the park, where they run into Metatron and his mother. Dean asks how his summer is going and gets a wide eyed shrug in return. Students are always so disturbed by seeing their teachers outside of school. Dean still remembers how Grace had stared owlishly at him and said that she thought Dean lived at the school.

Later, Grace convinces Dean to write poems and draw pictures for Cas. She watches over the poem making process and gives him words and phrases to add in to make it sound nicer. Dean’s never been very gifted at writing poems, but Grace loves it. He also draws a picture of a guinea pig and names it Carl.

When Cas gets back that night, before Gabriel actually, Grace gives him the poems and drawings. Grace drew a bunch of pictures of castles with stick figures inside of them. Cas practically coos as he looks at her drawings and laughs when he sees the very poorly drawn guinea pig Dean drew. However, he pauses when he gets to Dean’s poem. Admittedly, it’s more of a cheesy love note than a poem, but Grace assured him that Cas would love it.

Cas stares down at the paper for a long time, long enough that Dean starts to worry that he fucked up somehow, that maybe Cas doesn’t like it. Just as he’s about to say something – probably apologize – Dean’s knocked back by Cas’s entire body attacking him, kissing him roughly and holding his wrists against the wall on either side of his head.

The kiss lasts even after Dean’s lost his breath, when stars erupt behind his eyelids and all Dean can feel is _Cas_. Cas, who must have forgotten that Grace is even in the room with them because there’s no way he would get this possessive if he remembered.

“I love you so fucking much,” Cas whispers when he pulls back, his forehead resting against Dean’s and his breaths panted against Dean’s mouth. When he finally does pull back completely, all Dean can see is an extremely smug looking Grace.

“I told you he would love it.”

 

**~~*~~*~~*~~*~~**

 

Dean has been watching Cas for some time now, but Cas ignores it. For right now, at least. They’re at Dean’s house, and are currently watching a documentary on bee migration. Cas knows exactly what Dean wants from him, and _god_ does he want it too, but he’s going to drag this out as long as possible – build the anticipation. After all, they haven’t done anything even remotely sexual since before school got out. That was over a month ago.

The last time that Cas had slept over at Dean’s house, he had been so tired from working long hours that he fell asleep on Dean’s couch at eight. Then in the morning he didn’t wake up until almost noon, and he told Grace he would be back by then. Safe to say that nothing fun happened. Besides, Sam and Jess were still living with Dean at that time. They only moved into their own apartment two weeks ago.

Movement catches his eye, and when Cas flicks his eyes over he sees Dean wriggling slightly next to him. He adjusts the blanket that covers him and then aligns himself completely against Cas’s left side. Good, now they’re snuggling.

A few minutes later there’s a soft kiss pressed to the left side of Cas’s neck. Testing his will power, Cas keeps watching the documentary. Then another kiss is placed to another spot on his neck, followed by another, which is of course followed by yet another. This goes on until Dean honest to god bites down on Cas’s neck, not enough to make him bleed but enough to effectually get Cas’s attention.

“What the hell?”

Cas brings his hand up to rub the sore spot, but Dean bats it away. Instead, Dean places his mouth over the sore spot and laves at it, sucking gently to soothe the area. Even though he technically already broke when Dean bit him, Cas goes back to watching the documentary. Dean sucks and laves at Cas’s neck, moving across the stretch of skin.

He’s doing so well, blocking the feel of Dean’s short stubble and soft lips out of his mind, but he can’t completely ignore the hand that travels to his chest. It slips underneath his shirt and rubs circles across his stomach, leading upwards. Dean’s so methodical and slow, that Cas doesn’t notice where Dean’s headed, not until one of his nipples is being grabbed roughly and his breath is hitching.

Dean exhales contentedly against Cas’s neck at the sound and continues to kneed the pebbled flesh, twisting it slightly between his two fingers. Watching the documentary just got a little bit harder. Dean moves on to the next nipple, giving it the exact same treatment as the first before going back to rubbing small circles across his stomach.

Both of them are silent, not wanting to ruin the moment with words. The air between them is so fragile right now, crackling with their shared potential energy. Dean’s still sucking at Cas’s neck, and he really hopes that he isn’t leaving marks because _that_ will be fun explaining to Grace. It’s when Dean pulls off with a final chaste kiss to Cas’s jaw line that he gets suspicious. Nonetheless, Cas keeps his eyes glued to the television.

The warmth at his side disappears, but Cas doesn’t dare look to see where Dean’s gone. He doesn’t have to wait long, because moments later two hands are pulling his legs down from where they’re folded in front of him on the couch. Cas allows his legs to be guided down, and then for his thighs to be pushed apart. Anticipation builds inside of him, wave after wave coursing through him, but he refuses to look down.

His pajama pants are lowered slowly, Cas doing nothing to help Dean pull the garment down. Dean huffs in frustration, but seems pleased when he succeeds. His thighs are given the same treatment as his neck was; Dean sucking and licking at his skin. Here though, he can tell Dean is trying to leave marks. No one will see them here, it’ll be something only for him and Dean.

The wet suction moves from Cas’s thighs up to his boxers, mouthing at the bulge that Dean finds there. Cas barely has time to swallow his moan, biting down on his lip hard enough to hurt. The documentary plays on with Cas’s eyes set in stone, stinging at this point from not blinking nearly enough. He can’t give in, not yet.

Dean keeps mouthing at him through his boxers, his hands rubbing soothing circles into his hip bones. This goes on until Cas is completely hard, straining against the confines of his boxers. Only then does Dean slip down the material and spread Cas’s legs far enough apart that he can fit comfortably in the V.

Nothing happens for a few moments and Cas is so close to looking down to see why Dean stopped, but then his head is snapping back and an involuntary moan is forcing its way out of his throat because Dean just fucking enveloped his cock all at once and _holy fucking shit_. Cas’s hands fall to Dean’s hair, gripping the short follicles between his fingers. Fuck this game, Cas can’t not watch.

Dean’s eyes are shining when Cas makes eye contact, giddiness and pride warring. Dean bobs his head up and down a few times, never turning his eyes away from Cas’s. He pulls off with a lewd pop and kisses the tip, making Cas’s jaw drag open.

“I want to try something new,” Dean whispers, the first words he’s said since he began watching Castiel. He looks perfect, his skin tinted just slightly by a red flush, his hair ruined from Cas’s fingers, and his eyes shining with an array of emotions.

“Anything.”

Dean closes his eyes and presses a chaste kiss to Cas’s right thigh. “Don’t say that,” he whispers. He’s quiet again for a moment but Cas doesn’t press. He’ll propose what he wants to do when he’s ready, there’s no reason to force it out of him. “Have you ever…bottomed?”

Cas can tell how nervous Dean is to ask this because he basically refuses to make eye contact, and when he does it’s fleeting. Instead of answering right away, Cas pulls him up so that Dean’s straddling his lap. He still refuses to make eye contact, but that’s something Cas is going to fix.

Pressing a chaste kiss to Dean’s lips, Cas wraps his arms around Dean’s back and pulls him in close. “I have,” Cas says delicately. “That’s how I lost my virginity. My first partner wasn’t the most giving, and I don’t look on it as a very good experience, but I trust you. I would love to bottom for you.”

Dean looks up then, something else – maybe love – shining in his eyes. Cas could spend hours looking into Dean’s eyes, memorizing the patterns and swirls of color. Just as he could easily spend hours mapping out each and every beautiful freckle on Dean’s body.

“Are you sure?”

Cas kisses Dean slowly, licking the seam of Dean’s lips until he’s granted entrance. The kiss is surprisingly soft, but neither of them make any effort to change it.

“Yes,” Cas whispers when he pulls away. “I trust you.”

Dean grabs his hand and stands up, pulling Cas along with him. They make their way to Dean’s bedroom, Cas only slightly regretting missing the end of the bee documentary. It’s as if Dean can read his mind because he laughs and says that they can finish it in the morning.

“We’ll go slow,” Dean says. “Just say stop and I’ll listen. You can change your mind at any time.”

Again, Cas kisses his assurance into Dean’s lips. “Dean, I trust you.”

“I know…but still.”

As much as he appreciates how soft Dean’s being with him, it’s bordering much too close to hesitant for him. Cas won’t be easily broken. So instead, he takes charge. Taking Dean’s wrists in his hands, Cas leads him onto the bed and spreads him out underneath him. Cas straddles his waist and slips his shirt over his head, now completely naked. Dean, however, is still wearing all of his clothes.

Cas can fix that.

Moments later and Dean is as clothed as he was the day he was born. Cas runs his hands up and down Dean’s chest, feeling the muscles underneath his fingertips. Dean’s hands settle on Cas’s shoulders, slowly lowering him so that they’re flush against each other.

“I love you,” Dean whispers.

Cas smiles into Dean’s shoulder. He’ll never get enough of hearing that. Dean could say it to him every day and he’d still get excited every time he hears it.

“I love you, too.”

They kiss again, this time slow and unhurried. There’s no rush to have sex or to go quickly. They have time now, something they haven’t had for the past month. Cas is practically starved for Dean’s attention. He wants it to last, not be rushed and then over before he’s really satisfied.

It’s when their slow grinding starts to pick up speed that they finally break apart, focusing solely on the drag and friction between their groins. Cas is starting to slowly leak pre-cum, and he’s getting much too close to his orgasm than he intends.

“Do –” Cas cuts himself off when Dean grinds up particularly harshly. “Do you want to prep me or should I do it myself?”

Dean lights up, rolling them over so that he’s on top. “I wanna do it.” Is this what Dean sounds like on Christmas morning?

Dean gets up and grabs the lube and a condom before settling once more above Castiel. “Let me know if I hurt you.”

“You won’t.”

A slick finger finds its way down to Cas’s crack and circles around his hole. He hasn’t fingered himself or been fingered since before Meg, back in college. The finger doesn’t exactly feel bad, but it isn’t welcome either. Dean goes slow, though, only circling and dipping the very tip of the finger in. When he’s relaxed enough, Dean slips the finger in to the first knuckle.

Cas’s entire body tenses, protesting against the intrusion. Dean senses his conflict and pulls his finger out, but Cas grabs his hand and leads it back to his hole. Dean takes the command and slowly slips the tip of his finger back in. This time, Cas’s body doesn’t protest nearly as much.

After that, it becomes much easier. When Dean finds Cas’s prostate when they’re up to two fingers, things light up. Cas suddenly regrets having not fingered himself in years because _fuck_ , how could he have forgotten how good stroking his prostate is?

By the time he’s deemed stretched enough, Cas is practically shaking with the need to be filled. His anticipation is through the roof, his breaths coming in pants. He tries to collect himself as Dean puts on a condom and lubes himself up, but he’s too goddamn excited. Why haven’t they done this sooner?

“Are you ready?” Dean asks when he settles between Cas’s legs. Cas nods and pulls Dean down on top of him.

“Yes, please fuck me.”

Dean concedes, slowly pushing in. Cas’s mouth opens around a silent cry, his eyes squeezing shut. It doesn’t hurt, Dean stretched him well enough, but it’s so fucking intense. Cas forgot just how intense it is. And Dean’s been doing this for him for all this time?

When Dean bottoms out, they both pause, letting themselves adjust. Cas’s body isn’t fighting off the intrusion, not nearly as badly as when Dean first started to finger him. Once the slight burn goes down and his body adjusts, it actually feels sort of…nice.

They set an easy rhythm after that, rocking together against each other. Dean’s a gentle lover, and even though Cas generally likes it at least a little bit rougher than this, he’s content to lay in Dean’s arms and accept everything he’s being given. Bottoming has always sort of messed with his mind, always made him more gentle and soft. But he can still be bossy.

Dean laughs when Cas tells him to wrap his fingers around his cock. “You’re ready to come already?”

Cas rolls his eyes and forcibly removes one of Dean’s hands from his hips and encircles it around his dick. “I want to feel you everywhere.”

Dean complies, if only to please Castiel, and continues to slowly jack Cas off while rocking into him. His stamina lasts surprisingly longer than he thought it would. Dean gets closer to coming before Cas does, and has to increase the speed of his hand to keep Cas right on the edge with him.

They both fall apart at the same time, spilling onto and into each other’s bodies with low moans of their names. Dean collapses down onto Cas after it’s over, resting through the afterglow. He’s still inside of Cas, and punctuates that fact many minutes later by rolling his hips and hitting Cas’s _very_ sensitive prostate.

The resounding moan slash scream is all Dean’s fault.

“I hate you,” Cas says after forcing Dean to pull out.

Dean laughs and kisses the tip of Cas’s nose. “No you don’t, you love me.”

Cas pouts for a moment before he’s overcome with how much he does love Dean. He smiles then, returning Dean’s kiss. “You’re right, I love you.”

Dean brings back a damp towel a few minutes later to clean Cas, who’s feeling more boneless than he ever has before. He’s nodding off when a warm body circles around him, wrapping their legs with his and draping their arm over his stomach. Cas snuggles back into Dean’s chest and allows himself to be held. A gentle kiss is placed to his shoulder before Dean’s head rests there. He’s missed sleeping in the same bed as Dean.

 

**~~*~~*~~*~~*~~**

 

“Grace, are you ready yet?”

“Almost, Daddy!” Grace yells from down the hall. Cas checks his watch for the third time in the past two minutes and sends a text to Dean.

_You at the school yet?_

The response is almost instantaneous.

_Have been for the past half hour._

_You and Grace gonna visit before classes start?_

_Of course_ , Cas sends.

Grace comes into the kitchen then, her bright green backpack trailing over one of her shoulders. Her hair is a complete mess, waves sticking up in all directions.

“I need Dean to do my hair,” Grace pouts. She scarfs down her cereal as quickly as possible and then downs her orange juice. Cas packs her ham and cheese sandwich and banana into her lunch box and then places it into her backpack while she’s eating.

“He can as long as we get to school early enough,” Cas tells her. “If not, I can do it.”

Grace snorts and puts her cereal bowl and cup into the sink. She’s gotten a little sassy lately.

When they get into the car, Cas asks if she’s excited for her first day of third grade.

“I don’t know,” Grace mutters. “Hannah’s in my class, which is great, but…” Grace sighs and messes with a strand of her hair. “Dean’s not my teacher.”

“I know, Angel, but Dean said that Mr. Simons is a great teacher.”

“But he isn’t Dean.”

Cas sighs and looks back to the road. “I know, baby, I know.”

The rest of the car ride is silent save for the sound of the vehicle on the road. He understands that Grace is upset that she doesn’t have Dean as a teacher anymore, but she can’t let that get her down. When they pull into the parking lot, Cas unbuckles and turns to face his daughter.

“Baby, cheer up,” Cas says, tilting her chin up when she tries to look down. “You’re going to have a great first day and an amazing year. You’ll love Mr. Simons, I’m sure of it.”

Grace is quiet for a moment before unbuckling and pulling Cas into a hug. Not having expected it, Cas is slightly surprised by the force with which Grace is clinging to him. He had no idea she was this upset.

“Dean said that I can visit him during lunch time and recess, or whenever I need to.”

Cas smiles and kisses her temple. “That’s wonderful.” After another moment he slowly leans back and holds his daughter at arm’s length. “You ready to have the best first day of school ever?”

Grace smiles, radiant, and nods her head. They both get out of the car and make their way to the school building. Grace holds his hand the entire time.

Pamela smiles at them and waves when they pass the front office. Grace waves back and Cas nods to her in greeting. Pam had seen them come into the school a few times during the summer to help Dean set up his classroom. He’d even let Grace paint a garden onto one of his walls. There’s still another fifteen minutes before students will start showing up, which gives them enough time to visit Dean and help him set up.

“Dean!” Grace squeals when they get to his classroom. She runs up to him and jumps. Dean barely has enough time to catch her and hold her against his chest.

“Whoa,” Dean exhales, shock written clear across his face. “What’s up, Grace?”

“Daddy told me last night that he’d bring me to get ice cream tonight if I have fun at school,” Grace tells him, circling her arms around his neck to stay stable. She’s never done this to Dean before. Gabriel, a few times. But never anyone else besides Cas. Something swirls deep in Cas’s belly – whether it be jealousy or pride, he isn’t sure. But he does know that he’s glad Grace trusts Dean so much. “Do you wanna come with us?”

Dean looks to Cas and he shrugs. “Alright, I’d love to.”

“Yay!” Grace squeals and bops Dean on the nose. He lets her down after that, telling her that he’ll fix her hair for her in just a moment. He approaches Cas and kisses him in greeting, letting one of his hands fall to intertwine with Cas’s own.

“Morning, sunshine,” Dean whispers, making Cas giggle. Fucking giggle.

“Morning,” Cas whispers back. From the sounds coming from across the classroom, Grace is fixing some of the chairs. “You ready for your first day?”

Dean kisses him again, taking his time. “Beyond ready. How was Grace this morning? She didn’t seem too happy the last time I talked to her.”

“She was upset,” Cas confesses. “But I think she’s okay now. Thank you for telling her she can come visit you.”

“’Course,” Dean says. Grace comes back then and asks Dean to braid her hair for her, so Dean does.

No matter how much he practices or how hard he tries, Cas’s braids just won’t come out the same way Dean’s do. When her hair’s done, Grace goes and sits down in her old seat.

Pretty soon though, it’s almost time for school to start. Cas gives Dean a final kiss goodbye and wishes him good luck.

“I don’t need it,” Dean says with a wink. Cas laughs and says they’ll talk after the day’s over. He walks Grace to her classroom and hugs her goodbye.

“You’ll have fun today, Angel,” Cas whispers. Grace hugs him tighter and nods.

“Don’t be late to pick me up,” Grace says, and then she’s gone and through the door. Cas stands there speechless for a moment before she pops back out and hugs him again. “I love you, Daddy.”

“I love you, too,” Cas says and presses a final kiss to her temple. “You can call me during lunch if you want.”

Grace nods and pulls back. _She’ll be fine_ , Cas reassures himself. It hurts to see her so upset, but he knows that as soon as Hannah gets here she’ll be happier. So instead, they wait outside of the classroom together until Hannah shows up.

When she does, it’s as if nothing has changed. Grace lights up and they both run into the classroom together so that they can get seats next to each other.

Grace will be fine. Of course she will be.

It turns out that they both worried for nothing because later, Grace can’t stop talking about how cool Mr. Simons is. Apparently, he lets the kids call him Ash.

 

**~~*~~*~~*~~*~~**

 

Dean stares at his laptop screen and watches the black cursor blink in the google search bar. He and Cas have been going out for over two years now, and Grace has begun asking Dean when he’s going to ask Cas to marry him almost every day. He told her a while back that he would start thinking about getting married after she completed third grade.

Right now it’s February vacation and Grace is in fourth grade. So maybe he’s been procrastinating it a little bit, but no one can blame him. He does want to propose to Cas, and he does want to spend the rest of his life with him and Grace, but what if Cas says no?

Dean’s been practically daydreaming about a life with Cas for over a year now. How Cas and Grace could move into Dean’s house and Grace could paint her room however she pleases and Cas can sleep in Dean’s bed every night for the rest of their lives. But it won’t be Dean’s bed, it’ll be their bed. And their room. And their house. They can be a family.

Sammy told him that he was being stupid and that Cas wouldn’t say no, but the uncertainty still lingers in the back of Dean’s mind every time he thinks about it.

“Dude, Grace is fucking adorable and Cas is probably the best thing that’s ever happened to you,” Sam had said after Dean was moping at his and Jess’s apartment for over an hour. “If you don’t grow a pair and make this permanent, I’m going to do it for you.”

The black cursor keeps blinking.

What if Cas says no? What if Dean gets down on one knee and then Cas says that he doesn’t love him anymore? What if he wants to break up and just hasn’t said anything yet? What if Grace actually hates Dean?

Even through the worry, Dean knows in the back of his mind that none of those things are true. If Grace hated him then she wouldn’t be bugging Dean so much to propose to Cas. She has so many ideas, ranging from writing words in the sky with an airplane to scuba diving to simply taking Cas out to dinner.

He wants to keep it simple, maybe go back to the Roadhouse where they had their first technical date. Or possibly drive out in the Impala and park on some random back road. They could lie down on the hood and watch the stars, and then Dean could get down on one knee and propose. He can see the image clear in his mind, the surprise and love written across Cas’s face. He wants it to happen so goddamn badly it hurts. But it can only happen if he takes a chance and goes for it.

Dean takes a deep breath, steadies himself, and positions his hands over the keys of his laptop. Pressing the keys hesitantly, as if anything could happen at any moment, Dean types in, _engagement rings that don’t totally suck_.


	17. Epilogue One

The warmth from the sun blankets Castiel’s bare skin and sends a sleepy buzz through his body. He could easily fall asleep right here on the shore of Malvarosa Beach in Valencia, Spain, with the cool breeze and the heat from the sun. He lifts his head and discovers that Dean already has. He smiles, watching his new husband lie asleep in the sand. Even though he made sure that Dean put on sunscreen before they went out, he still doesn’t want that beautiful freckled skin to get burned.

When he reaches out his left hand to shake Dean awake, the glint from the sun on his wedding ring catches his eye. They’ve only been married three days, but they’ve already been some of the best days of Cas’s life. When Dean proposed, he’d been so shocked that he couldn’t form words. They’d been driving around Lawrence all day while Gabriel was at home with Grace, and then Dean pulled over to the side of some nondescript road and told Castiel to get out of the car.

They walked through the woods for almost an hour, Cas asking Dean every couple of seconds what the hell they were doing running around in the woods in the dark. But Dean never told him anything. Hand in hand, they ventured until the path thinned and lead to an open clearing.

“What are we doing here?” Cas asked for the millionth time, eyes taking in the various stone benches and moon-lit flora and fauna.

Dean turned to him and brought him into a deep kiss, but refused to answer. Cas let himself be led to one of the stone benches, but Dean didn’t sit down next to him. Not for the first time, he worried that something was wrong. Dean had been acting strange for almost a month, and every single time he got too-weird, Castiel would fear the worst.

“Dean?”

Said man reached forward and cupped the side of Cas’s face with his open palm, gently rubbing his cheek with his thumb. Dean then went down and dropped to one knee and pulled out a small box. Castiel stopped breathing.

“Cas,” Dean breathed, his eyes shining, the green illuminated by the moon light. “You know I’m not good with words, but you also know that I love you. I’ve loved you so much that sometimes I don’t even remember what life was like before I loved you. You and Grace never fail to make me smile or to feel loved and like I belong.”

At that point, Cas’s tears were spilling down his face.

“You deserve hours of poems and love songs and dedication, and I promise you that even though I feel like I’m going to throw from nerves, like how you threw up all over my bathroom that time you got incredibly drunk,” Dean broke off as Cas started laughing. He smiled and rested a hand on Cas’s knee.“I promise you that I will spend the rest of my life showing you just how much I love you.

“Will you marry me?”

Cas sobbed out a broken “ _Yes!_ ” and threw himself down into Dean’s arms, catching the other man’s lips with his own. Dean kissed him back just as passionately, hands coming up to bracket Cas’s face and head. Cas’s fingers tangled into Dean’s hair and held him there, deepening the kiss.

“Cas,” Dean said, breaking the kiss with a laugh. “You gotta let me put the ring on your finger.”

They broke apart and Cas got his first look at the ring. It was a simple gold band, but one fourth of it was engraved with a feather in a lighter gold. It was beautiful and fit perfectly.

“Grace helped me pick it out,” Dean whispered. Cas started crying even more. Dean brushed the tears away with his thumb, smiling up at him. “Baby, don’t cry.”

“They’re happy tears,” Cas whispered, leaning in to kiss Dean again.

Grace had been ecstatic that night once Cas and Dean got back to Cas’s apartment. She squealed and jumped around, something she hadn’t done in years since she was ten then. After giving them both congratulatory hugs, although Gabriel’s were a little more intense, she disappeared into her room and came back with a huge scrapbook full of wedding ideas.

Cas almost started crying again.

A bird landing close to Dean’s outstretched arm catches Cas’s attention and pulls him back to the present. Dean’s still out cold and his back is starting to look a little red. Cas shakes his husband – _husband!_ – awake and shushes him when he startles.

“It’s alright,” Cas reassures. Dean looks up at him, a few grains of sand stuck to his face and smiles.

“I fell asleep,” he says, lying back down and turning over so that his paler stomach is to the sun.

“You did.”

Dean hums and looks over at Cas who’s lying right next to him. “Probably because I didn’t get much sleep last night.”

“You were quite busy,” Cas agrees.

“I think my ass is _still_ sore from our wedding night,” Dean huffs, but there’s a brilliant smile gracing his face.

Cas rolls over so that he’s lying on his side, completely facing Dean. “And you did convince me to fuck you in the bathroom on the plane ride to Spain.”

Dean’s eyes widen and he silences Cas with a kiss. “You can’t say shit like that, there might be children here.”

Cas laughs and rolls on top of Dean, who looks momentarily surprised, but pleased. “It’s almost dark, I’d imagine most children are being shepherded back home by now.”

“Speaking of children,” Dean says, running his hands up and down Cas’s arms. “Did you call Grace yet today?”

Cas shakes his head no. “I was going to wait until later, once I know she’s not out with a friend or anything.”

They had entertained the idea of bringing Grace on their honeymoon, but ultimately decided that they should go alone. When they gave her the option, she said she’d rather stay with Uncle Gabe or Uncle Sam. Since it’s day three of their honeymoon, Grace will be switching from staying with Gabriel to staying with Sam and Jess tomorrow.

She made them promise to call every day, and even if she hadn’t, Cas still would. He’s never been away from Grace this long, and it’s actually quite unnerving. Dean can tell when Cas starts getting worried, so he always distracts him and once he’s calm again, suggests that he calls her. It’s more helpful than Cas would have thought.

From what she’s told him, she’s having lots of fun with Gabriel. Cas can only image the amount of sugar she’s consumed in the past few days.

“We should call her soon before we forget,” Dean says. Cas hums in approval and kisses Dean’s nose, then cheek, then temple. He kisses everywhere except for Dean’s lips, keeping his touch chaste.

Dean squirms under him and rakes his nails lightly along his back. “Kiss me, you idiot.”

If it’s a reference, it’s completely gone over Cas’s head, but he acquiesces and kisses Dean softly on the lips. It feels like a re-run of their wedding kiss, so soft and full of love. Except this time they aren’t surrounded by friends and family and they aren’t pretending not to see Gabriel and Sam crying together, clutching each other’s lapels.

Dean looked beyond beautiful in his tux, and he even did up his hair with gel the way Cas loves it. They wore matching tuxes, except Castiel’s had silver trim and Dean’s had gold. Sam was Dean’s best man and Gabe was Cas’s. Grace, of course, was the flower girl. She wore a beautiful white, fluffy dress and shiny white ballet flats. She tossed red roses down the aisle where they got married at the planetarium, and Charlie braided her a flower crown from her bouquet. There were many places considered to have the wedding at, but in the end the planetarium was the only place that felt right. After all, that was where they finally said I love you.

“You know I love you, right?” Cas asks.

Dean blinks up at him and lifts his left hand. “Is that what this ring on my finger meant? Because I’ve been trying to figure it out the past couple of – oomph,” Dean cuts off as Cas silences him with his lips. God, they’ve been kissing _so much_ lately, but Cas just can’t stop. He still can’t believe he and Dean are married, it all feels so surreal.

He couldn’t be happier.

 

**~~*~~*~~*~~*~~**

 

Dean looks out onto the horizon and watches in rapt awe as the sun completely disappears behind an ocean wave, sending the sky into dark oranges and oncoming blues. The sunset is beautiful. Cas is the one that originally proposed Spain as their destination for their honeymoon, but after some research, Dean quickly hopped on board. Barcelona had been breathtaking, but Valencia is just purely amazing. Dean knows less than twenty words in Spanish, but Castiel is a pro.

Right now, Cas is talking with a few ladies trying to get directions back to their hotel. They might have gotten a little lost wandering the streets. What can he say? He was too enraptured in Cas than where he was going.

A few minutes later, and the sky is already darkening into dark blues and hazy purples. Pretty soon it’ll be completely dark out. Last night at around two am, they’d snuck out of their hotel room and made love on the beach. There’s a secluded, hidden spot behind a couple of tall rocks where they went, but no one else was on the beach anyway.

It was kind of dirty, but it was definitely worth it.

“Hey,” Cas comes over and touches Dean’s shoulder. Dean looks over and sees the excitement in Cas’s eyes. Those bright blue eyes haven’t dimmed from the moment he walked down the aisle on their wedding day. Dean’s sure his haven’t either. “Those girls offered to walk us back to the hotel.”

Dean cocks a brow. “They can’t give us directions?”

Cas shrugs. “I don’t know, they keep looking at you and giggling.” Cas leans in and kisses the side of his jaw, right next to his ear. “I think they think you’re cute,” he whispers.

Dean laughs and twists his head so that he can kiss Cas straight on. “You have no competition.”

Cas smiles against Dean’s lips and pecks him lightly on the lips before he pulls away and leads Dean over to the group of girls. They can’t be much older than twenty.

“¿Él es su marido? [ _He is your husband?_ ]” one of the girls asks. Cas nods and she giggles.

“Se llama Dean, [ _His name’s Dean,_ ]” Cas says.

“Dean es muy guapo. [ _Dean is very handsome._ ]”

“What did she say?” Dean whispers to Cas.

Cas squeezes his hand and shakes his head. “Don’t worry about it.”

“¿No habla español? [ _He doesn’t speak Spanish?_ ]” the shorter, blonde girl asks, pointing at Dean.

“Quizás tres palabras, [ _Maybe three words,_ ]” Cas says. The girls all laugh and Dean resists the urge to ask Cas to translate again. One of them must pick up on his discomfort because she switches to heavily accented English.

“You don’t speak Spanish,” she says.

Dean shakes his head and squeezes Cas’s hand tighter.

“No. [ _No._ ]”

“Esa es una delas tres, [ _That’s one of the three,_ ]” Cas says. The girls all start laughing again and Dean glares at his husband. Cas kisses him on the nose. “You know I love you.”

Dean melts against him. “I love you, too.”

When they pull apart, the girls are all watching them as if they’re a pair of puppies. They startle at being caught.

“Lo siento,” one of them says. That one, Dean knows. _I’m sorry._

“Let’s go,” Cas says, tugging on Dean’s hand and falling in line with the girls.

Cas and the girls continue to speak in Spanish, but Dean just tunes them out. Instead, he focuses on the renovations he needs to make to their house. _Their house_. Cas and Grace moved in a few months ago during Grace’s April vacation. Grace has her own room, right down the hall from Dean and Cas’s, which they painted bright green with a bright yellow ceiling. The three of them put their hand prints on her door like hers and Cas’s were at their apartment.

He’s thinking about building a tree house for her. He’ll need to check out the trees near his yard and make sure that one of them is stable enough, but that’ll be something to do for her this summer.

The three of them fit together well. Dean takes Grace to school in the mornings and she helps out in his classroom before school starts. Cas is usually at work before either of them are awake, but that means that he’s home by the time school’s out. It isn’t as if it’s only the three of them all the time. Gabriel visits a lot, and so do Sam and Jess. Speaking of Sam and Jess, she’s almost on her third trimester, which means the baby will be coming in a few months. Dean still needs to put together the crib he’s making for them. He and Grace are going to paint it after it’s put together.

“We’re here,” Cas says, pulling Dean out of his thoughts. The girls hug them goodbye, kissing them on their cheeks.

“Gracias, [ _Thank you,_ ]” Dean says, utilizing one of the few words he knows in Spanish.

They make their way into the hotel and up to their room. Once they’re in the elevator and Dean notes that it’s empty, he pushes Cas up against the wall and attacks his lips.

“God, Cas,” he whispers against his skin. Cas’s fingers grip the fabric of Dean’s shirt around his shoulders. “You’re so fucking sexy when you speak Spanish.”

Cas moans lowly as Dean’s thigh presses between his legs. “I… I speak four other languages as well.”

Dean pulls away momentarily and stares at his husband in amazement. “I want to hear all of them.”

Cas grins and pulls Dean back in. He kisses him filthily, wrapping one of his legs around Dean’s hip. “That can be arranged.”

 

**~~*~~*~~*~~*~~**

 

“And IIIIIIIIII will aaalllwaaaayyss looovvee yoooooouuuuuuuuuu!” Cas and Dean sing at the top of their lungs, dispelling into fits of giggles as a stray cat hisses and scurries away from them.

“Will aaallllwwwaaaayyyyysssss,” Dean breaks off by kissing Cas squarely on the lips. Not too bad for someone who can barely see straight. Cas responds in kind, opening his lips and allowing Dean in. They kiss lazily against the side of a building. Cas tastes like margaritas. It’s sugary and sweet, and _awesome._

Dean pulls back enough so that he can rest his forehead against Cas’s. He lowers his voice so that he’s talking to Cas, and Cas alone. This last line isn’t for anyone who’s looked at them weirdly, nor is it for the people that have cheered for them or joined in on their song. After all, he did tell Cas once upon a time that he’d spend the rest of his life singing him love songs.

“Looooooooove yooooouuuuu.”

Cas’s eyes shine. “I love you.”

They barely make it back to their hotel that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know if any of my translations are wrong, I've only taken Spanish throughout high school and don't speak the language in my daily life. That said, I hope you enjoyed this little epilogue!


	18. Epilogue Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it, this is the very end. I've loved writing Daddy Needs a Date and I've loved all of your feedback. It's been a few months since I finished the story, but adding this final epilogue seems even more bittersweet than the original ending. Each and every kudo and comment left for this story has made my day brighter. I will love all of you forever. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Grace throws her phone to the bed and resists the urge to scream. Her fucking dad refuses to let her go out tonight because she “hasn’t been home much lately.” He used those stupid air quotes and everything. And it sucks because Dean agrees with him. He isn’t even her real dad, he shouldn’t get a say.

That thought stings, breaking through her anger. She collapses down onto her bed and pulls at her hair. That wasn’t fair, Dean’s just as much her dad as Dad is. For fucks sake, she used to call him Daddy Dean.

There’s a knock on her door, but Grace ignores it. The knock comes again, and this time she drags herself off the bed and cracks the door open.

“What do you want?” she asks. Her voice betrays her by sounding broken and strained.

Dean’s head pops through and he looks down at her. She doesn’t want his pity. She’s practically an adult, and an adult doesn’t need their dad’s pity.

“I just want to talk to you.”

Grace rolls her eyes but lets him in. She goes back to her bed and folds her legs up in front of her so that she can rest her chin on her knees. Dean takes a seat on her desk chair, absentmindedly spinning it around. He does that every time he comes in here.

“Your dad’s pretty upset.”

Grace closes her eyes. She knows she crossed a line by yelling at her dad; she hadn’t held back, releasing every pent up aggression she’s ever had at him all at once.

“He won’t even talk to me.”

Grace’s eyes flash open. Dad always talks to Dean, _always._ “I’m sorry,” she mumbles.

“It’s not me you should be apologizing to,” Dean says softly. “You really shouldn’t have told him that you hate him. Cas won’t listen to me when I tell him you didn’t mean it.”

Now that Grace is paying attention to him, she notices how worked up Dean is, too. He looked calm when she let him in.

“You shouldn’t have called him a boring tax accountant with no life, either.”

Okay, maybe that one was bad.

“Or called me his bitch when I sided with him.”

Alright, that one was really bad.

“And you definitely shouldn’t have brought your mom into it.”

That one was bad. Really, really, _really_ bad. Especially since Grace knows just how bad her mom is. After all, she tried to kill her and she’s in jail for the rest of her life.

A tear slips free from Grace’s eye and she wipes away at it furiously. “I’m sorry,” she whimpers. “I’m a terrible child.”

Dean’s by her side in an instant, wrapping her in a tight embrace. “No you’re not, you’re an amazing young lady that your dad and I love very, very much.”

“I love you, Dean,” she whispers into his shoulder.

“I love you, too, kiddo.”

Grace sniffles and rubs at her smudged eyeliner. She doesn’t even want to go out with her friends anymore. And Dad’s right, she hasn’t been home very much in the past few weeks. She didn’t realize how much she missed Dad and Dean.

“Where’s Dad?” Grace asks.

“In his room,” Dean says. “But, Grace. Please be gentle with him.”

Grace looks down at her hands. “He’s going to be so mad at me.”

Dean runs his hand through her hair, his fingers getting caught in the long, wavy strands. He and Dad never seemed to stop playing with her hair – even if Dad still sucks at hair dos. It doesn’t really matter anymore, anyway, she can do her own hair.

“I think he’s more upset with himself.”

Grace tilts her head to the side, much like she knows her dad does. “Why? He didn’t do anything.”

Dean shrugs and a small, fond smile forms on his lips. “You know your dad.”

Grace snorts. “Yeah, I do.”

They’re both silent for a few moments, lost in their thoughts. Guilt lies heavily on Grace’s chest, so much so, that it feels like she’s going to collapse with the weight of it. How can Dad forgive her?

“I have an idea,” Dean says, pulling Grace’s attention. Grace squints at him, taking in the bright shine of his eyes. “And I think you’re going to like it.”

 

**~~*~~*~~*~~*~~**

 

“They’re going to give themselves away!” Grace hisses under her breath. Dean widens his eyes comically and puts a finger to his lips.

“ _You’re_ going to give us away.”

Grace rolls her eyes. “That’s bullshit. I’m not the one that’s squeaking and making bubble noises.”

Dean narrows his eyes. “Language, young lady.”

The creak of a bed spring catches their attention and they look at each other and nod. Show time. The door cracks opens moments later.

“Dean?”

The pain in Dad’s voice is what does it. Tears well immediately in Grace’s eyes and her lower lip trembles. Dad opens the door all the way and sees both her and Dean standing in the dim light of the hallway.

Dad’s expression changes from one of complete grief to utter concern as soon as his bright blue eyes land on Grace.

“Grace,” Dad whispers, coming forward and wrapping her in a tight embrace. Grace wraps her arms around her father and holds him close. She’s missed the warmth of his embrace; the comfort that being with her father brings.

“I’m so sorry, Daddy,” Grace whispers into Dad’s shoulder. She can’t even remember the last time she called him ‘Daddy.’

Something wet hits her shoulder. “It’s alright, Angel.” Dad’s voice is thick with emotion, and that’s when Grace realizes that he’s crying. Fuck, she made him cry. This is all her fucking fault.

Just then, a bubbly little squeak echoes in the hallway. Dad freezes in Grace’s arms. Grace pulls away, praying to God that her eyes aren’t red, and smiles up at her dad.

“What was that?” Dad asks hesitantly. When Grace doesn’t say anything, he looks over to Dean. Dad only now notices that Dean’s carrying a box. Dad walks up to Dean but stops a foot away, his eyes locked onto the box. “Dean, what’s in there?”

Dean smiles at him sheepishly, a look that Grace has come to realize means he’s nervous, but very, very excited. He looked that way when he asked Grace if she and her dad would like to move into Dean’s house all those years ago. It’s not Dean’s house anymore; it hasn’t been for years. It’s _their_ house.

“I don’t know, Cas,” Dean murmurs, love flashing in his eyes. After all these years, and Dean still loves Dad just as much as when they got married. Maybe even more.

Dad takes a deep breath and walks closer to the box, but he still doesn’t open it. His breaths grow labored with every passing second.

“Grace, tell me what’s in the box,” Dad says without looking away from the box. Another bubbly squeak comes out of the box and Dad gasps. “ _Please._ ”

Grace bites her lip to keep from grinning and walks over to her dad to wrap him into a side hug. “It’s okay, Dad.” She pauses for a second, deliberating. Oh, what the hell? “It’s okay, Castiel.”

She finally learned how to say his full name correctly when she was twelve.

Dad tears his eyes away from the box and locks them onto Grace’s.

“I love you, Dad,” Grace whispers.

Dad’s blue eyes swim with varying emotions. She places his hand in hers and leads them both to the top of the box. Dean rests the box against his chest and uses his free hand to entangle his fingers in Dad’s other hand. Dad bites his bottom lip and slips open the top of the box.

If it weren’t for Grace holding him up, she’s sure he would have passed out.

Inside the box is not one, but two small guinea pigs snuggled next to each other. One is mostly white, but has splotches of tan and dark brown coloring. The other, slightly smaller, one is a mess of dark brown and a few blondish splotches around its ears and tail.

“Wh-what?” Dad gasps.

Dean leads them all into his and Dad’s room and they sit around the bed. Dad is shaking. Dean takes the two guinea pigs – both just barely old enough to be away from their mother – and lays them onto the blanket in front of Dad. They let out curious squeals and sniff around the blanket.

Tentatively, Dad reaches out a hand and strokes one’s back. Then the other.

“Why?” he asks.

Dean pulls him in for a kiss that lingers and Grace looks away. It’s obviously something just between them. “Because we love you.”

Dad hiccups and Grace looks back. He’s softly petting one of the guinea pigs and watching it in awe.

“And,” she whispers, guilt gnawing at her throat. “Because I fucked up.”

She hears a hissed “Language!” from Dean, but Dad just gives her a watery smile.

“You didn’t fuck up, Grace,” Dad says. “I shouldn’t have yelled at you.”

Grace shakes her head. “No, Dad, you were right.” She chews the bottom of her lip – a bad habit she picked up from Dean. “I’ve missed you guys and I didn’t realize how little time I’ve been spending with you lately.”

“You’ll be away at college in a few months,” Dad whispers. “I’m going to miss you so much.”

Grace smiles, although it’s a small one. “I’ll visit.” She sighs and closes her eyes for a moment. In the fall, she’s going to be attending Lesley University for photography. All the way in Cambridge, Massachusetts, which is right next to Boston. She hasn’t been back in Boston since she was seven, but Uncle Gabe assured her that she could stay in his apartment that he still has there.

“And of course, I’ll have to visit these guys,” she says, opening her eyes and gesturing to the two excited guinea pigs. Dad looks down at them and a wide smile stretches across his lips.

Grace reaches out and picks one of them up, smiling herself when it makes a bubbly squeal of protest. She’s quick to soothe it, stroking its back as she cups it in her other hand.

When she looks back up from the guinea pig, Dad and Dean are staring at each other. As a kid, she didn’t realize how abnormally often their staring matches were, but as she grew older, she realized it was something special. Dad looks thrilled and Dean, he just looks in love. She and Hannah did a good job getting them together. She makes a mental note to text Hannah later cancelling their plans for this weekend. She needs to spend more time with her dads.

“What are you going to name them?”

Dad blinks, looking away from Dean’s eyes, and tilts his head to the side in thought.

“Well,” he says slowly, as if in thought. “I did enjoy that movie that Dean and I watched two nights ago.”

Dean scrunches his brow. “Thelma and Louise?”

Dad’s face lights up. “Yes!”

Dean starts laughing, a low vibration in his chest. “So, you’re telling me that you want to name them Thelma and Louise?”

Dad nods. “Of course.”

Dean snorts and looks at Grace. ‘Of course,’” he quotes. Grace and Dean had been doing that ever since Dean and Dad had gotten married. Every time that Dad said something funny, they’d repeat it to each other and laugh. They weren’t doing it to be mean, and Dad knew that. At first, he’d been offended, but after a few weeks, he let it go.

“Well, I think they’re great names,” Grace says, looking at her dad and smiling.

Dad narrows his eyes but laughs. “You’re just saying that to get back on my good side.”

“I got you two guinea pigs,” Grace says. “I think I’m permanently on your good side.”

Dad picks up the other guinea pig and holds it close to his chest. He looks down at it in adoration.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

 

**~~*~~*~~*~~*~~**

“Stop!” Grace squeals, alerting Cas immediately that something is wrong. He runs into the living room only to find his daughter being tickled by Leo, Sam and Jess’s seven year old son.

Cas smiles and backs out of the living room and back into the kitchen. They’re having a barbecue to celebrate Grace’s high school graduation. In two months she’ll be headed to college and Cas and Dean will be basket cases until she comes back home for Thanksgiving break.

Dean’s showing Sam and Jess the new addition to their patio that he built last weekend, which leaves Cas to man the grill. Dean’s always been better at grilling, but Cas isn’t half bad.

“Hey Dad,” Grace says. She walks onto the patio with Leo close behind her. “Is it cool if I take Leo to the park before we eat?”

“Ask Sam and Jess.”

Grace sighs dramatically. “Fine.” She walks two feet away and then shouts down the house, “Uncle Sammy, can I drive Leo to the park real quick?”

Cas stifles his laughter.

“Don’t be gone for too long,” Jess calls back, answering for her husband.

“Awesome,” Grace says, grabbing Leo’s hand and heading back into the house to grab her keys. Castiel continues to watch over the burgers and hotdogs, not wanting to burn them again. Dean might have found it hilarious when Cas passed him a charcoaled burger last month, but Cas didn’t.

A pair of familiar arms wrap around Castiel’s waist from behind and Cas relaxes into his husband’s embrace. Dean presses a chaste kiss to the side of Castiel’s neck and Cas pushes him away playfully.

“Not here, Dean,” Cas chastises. Dean laughs and rakes his fingers through Castiel’s hair.

Sam and Jess walk over to them a few seconds later hands clasped tightly.

“So,” Jess says, elongating the word. She looks up at Sam with a wide grin and then back to Cas and Dean. Sam’s watching with a matching grin, his hazel eyes alight with joy. Dean steps closer to Cas and wraps an arm around his hip.

“What’s up?” Dean asks, eyes flashing between Sam and Jess.

Cas takes note of the hand Jess has placed almost protectively over her stomach and the way Sam’s own rests over hers. He also remembers that she was drinking water earlier instead of wine.

“No way,” Cas whispers.

Jess beams. “Yes.”

“What?” Dean asks. He pokes Cas in the side. “What’s going on?”

Cas cups a hand around Dean’s ear and whispers, “Sam and Jess had sex.”

Dean pulls back and frowns at Cas in confusion. “So? They’re married, they can have – oh!”

Cas laughs, watching how quickly Dean gets excited. Within the next second he’s wrapped around Sam, hugging the life out of him. Cas is much the same with Jess, except he’s careful to not apply any pressure towards her stomach.

“How far along are you?” Cas asks.

Jess looks down to her belly and cradles it between her two hands. “Only a couple of weeks. We just found out this morning.”

“I can’t believe you’re pregnant again,” Dean says, switching from Sam to Jess. He lifts her off the ground by a few inches and she laughs.

“Watch it, Winchester,” Jess says. “You won’t be able to do that pretty soon.”

Cas hugs Sam. The younger Winchester has always been there for Grace, and Cas will make sure that he’ll always be around for Sam and Jess’s children.

“We wanted you guys to be the first ones to know,” Sam says. Warmth fills Castiel’s chest. He loves his small family.

“We’ll also want to be the first ones to see the little guy when they pop out,” Dean says.

Jess laughs. “Of course.”

By the time the burgers and hotdogs are done, Grace is back with Leo. Trailing behind them is none other than Gabriel with his trademark lollipop sticking out of his mouth.

“I thought you said you couldn’t make it today,” Cas says in lieu of greeting. Gabe blanches and throws a smirk Castiel’s way.

“As if I would miss Grace’s graduation barbecue.” Gabe takes the lollipop out of his mouth a places a wet, obnoxious kiss to Castiel’s cheek. Leo breaks out into a fit of giggles that makes Grace laugh. “That, and my meeting got cancelled.”

Leo fell in love with Gabriel as soon as Gabe taught him how to get to the cookie jar at Sam and Jess’s house. Ever since, the boy’s trailed Gabriel around like a puppy. The fact that Gabriel owns three highly successful candy shops also might have something to do with it.

They start eating, the seven of them sitting around the patio table. Grace cracks a joke and Dean and Gabe start laughing obnoxiously around mouthfuls of food. Leo chants with them, banging his fork on the table top happily. Jess and Sam watch the encounter with gentle smiles. Surrounded by his family under the warm June sun, Cas has never been happier.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! You can find me [here](http://castielskeytotheimpala.tumblr.com/) on tumblr! :)


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